Maori carving at WaitangiI found myself being thankful that it is winter as I stood on a completely empty Ruakaka Beach earlier today. Even though the wind was blowing hard and we were in scarves and jackets, the view was amazing and the sun was shining. I think you’ll agree when you see the photos.
Today we went to Waitangi, which is the place where the treaty between England and the Maori was signed in 1840. It is basically the birth site of New Zealand. The treaty itself however is still being contested by some Maori tribes since there are two versions of the treaty and not all tribes signed the documents. These tribes are asking that land be returned to them.
We had a wonderful Maori guide who really took the time to explain the symbolism of the meeting house. The front of the meeting house has a “head” at the top which is usually the god of the house. The sides of the roof are the arms and the ends of the eaves are the fingers. The two pillars on the sides are the “legs” of the house. Inside, the main beam making up the roof line is the “spine” and all of the pillars making up the walls are the “ribs”. The window is the “eye” and the two main beams inside the house are the “heart”. In this particular house, each of the 28 Maori tribes carved their own pillar to represent their ancestor. In many of the carvings a tongue is sticking out – this is to represent their oral traditions. Also nearly all carvings exhibit silver eyes – this is to signify the owl and knowledge. In between the carvings are wall mats. Again, each of the Maori tribes designed their own mat to explain the environment in their tribal lands. For example, triangles could be used to identify mountains as a part of their landscape.
Tomorrow we will visit a Maori language immersion school. It is their first day back after winter break, so hopefully it won’t be too crazy for them. After that, we will meet with the tribal elders of Ngapuhi – the largest Maori tribe in Aotearoa – to discuss issues facing their people. We’ve been told this is a great honor and is not usually done.
If you haven’t checked the site in a while, be sure to click on the previous postings link since only the two most recent postings are displayed on the main page. Send warm thoughts my way!
