‘Gotta start somewhere aye cuz?’: Art, Community, Activation within Marae.
Here is my first annonated biblography on a Documentary piece produced by Waka Huia Published on Aug 11, 2014.
This documentary tells the story of my Ruruhi (old term for kuia) Nganeko Minhinnick nō Ngāti Te Ata ki Waiuku.
I decided to write my first annotation based on her story. Here I introduce its relevance to my practice as a community artist and facilitator and my studies in Curatorial Strategies as a part of my Masters in Arts Management. I intend to use this year and this time to study to consolidate my thinking and the last 4 years of community youth work for the the masses of South Auckland and start emphazing on the ‘quality not quantity’ ethos I once applied. In reflection of my undergraduate years and my emerging arts experience, I lacked one thing, my whakapapa.
“What value does the work that I do for young people all over Auckland have if it can’t be practiced on my marae?”
Watching this documentary couldn’t have come at a more necessary time for me as an artist, as a young person, as indigenous and as a kiwi. My nan’s story symbolizes my need to remain true and strong to ‘what I can do to help my family’. I have been raised by many villages, by the village is where family always comes first. By the end of my Masters I would like to be able to understand the relationship between the function of Marae, its surrounding neighbours and how to place my practice back on the pā for my own people to enjoy and experience but for ALL to embrace the beauty of our culture the way we see it.
This is only an inspirational starting point of discussion and an introduction towards the next few annotations and their relevance to the big picture of: Art on the Pā. Through these annotations I have kōrero/talanoa/discussion and elaborate on some of the introductory points I mention below,I debate and/or analyze existing text selections varying from online/digital/streaming media, textbooks, blogs and art.
This is will eventually become a public body of work and is only for the purpose of initiating a composition of research around my interests in rejuventating the Mārae as an active place of mauri for all to embrace and to share knowledge. The core function of the marae is as a place for people and families to meet. Based on the function and framework of the Marae and its traditional values I can marry Art on the Pā.
Click here for the first AnnotatedBibliography1
E mihi kawa ana ki ōku matua tipuna, i te ra, i te po, i te wa, i te ao.
E kore au e warewaretia ai nga raupatu, nga mea kino, nga matauranga hoki.
Tena koutou!
Ki a koutou e kui ma, koro ma! Ki aku whanaunga, Ki nga hāpori o te motu, I tauiwi ma, nga kaihana o te Moana nui a kiwa katoa. Kia mau te mauri! Tena koutou katoa.
Nā reira,
Tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa!
artonthepa 