WELLINGTON

KŌANGA • SPRING 2022

Jasmine Hemi cradles baby Kahurangi while mum Rebecca Kiddle records every stitch and any fraying, loose stitches or damage.

Conservation of a unique national taonga

A sneak peek into the Matangireia conservation project led by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga staff.

WORDS: Niki Partsch IMAGES: Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga

Asmall group of iwi kaitiaki (guardians) gathered in Matangireia in May to attend a special handson wānanga (learning session). This room has an important place in our history as the first Māori Affairs Committee Room at Parliament.

Opened 100 years ago, Matangireia is a modest sized meeting room which, for many years, offered a dedicated space for the Native Affairs Committee, which originally included all Māori Members of Parliament.

The purpose of this wānanga is for kaitiaki to re-engage with their ancestral taonga through the conservation process. Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga specialists are supporting them to learn technical conservation care techniques and the repair and maintenance of taonga using traditional materials. Amongst the kaitiaki group are traditional arts exponent Wharehuia Te Tokoihi and architectural graduate Matangireia Yates-Francis. Wharehuia describes the feeling of stepping into this unique space. “Entering Matangireia for me felt like home in the middle of a foreign building. Built almost 100 years ago I’m in awe of what our hautupua were able achieve

in a time where everything Māori was being stripped away from us. Toi Māori – traditional Māori art forms – were on the edge of being lost forever. Our rangatira of the time managed to establish this room adorned with Toi Māori in the heart of Parliament. That's a reminder to all of us that no matter the challenges we encounter in life, if the ‘why’ is strong enough and you believe you can, you one hundred percent can.” With guidance from Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga staff, including project lead Tautiaki Taonga Ellen Andersen, and Deputy Chief Executive Kaihautū Dean Whiting, the kaitaiki begin with a conservation audit which includes mapping every stitch in each of the tukutuku panels in the room. The plans are drawn up on quad paper and pinpoint any damage or marks. Soft bristled brushes and small vacuum cleaners are used to remove the fine white dust from the tukutuku panels and whakairo (carvings). While inspecting the frayed fibres Jim Schuster, Pouārahi Traditional Arts, explains the options and techniques for the process to come. Jasmine Hemi, Pouārahi Tautiaki Taonga, then guides kaitiaki in the delicate application of specialist products to the weakened or broken strands of the old kiekie using fine brushes.

Jim softens some loose fibres on the frame using a cloth dampened with water to make them pliable enough to be pulled tight and refastened. Stubborn dirt and dust are removed from whakairo using special cotton buds and cleaning liquid. The kaitiaki are positive about their experience. Matangireia says, “I am grateful to have been given the opportunity to sit and learn from some of our leaders in the space of conservation. To also be doing this work within Matangireia was special as well, where the carvings and weaving within the space were done by some of my ancestors from Te Arawa.”

Still photographs using a camera on a tripod were taken to add to the record of the condition of the panels at this time.

This issue

1 WELLINGTON Conservation of a unique national taonga

3 EDITORIAL Where is heritage in the resource management reforms?

5 DUNEDIN Archaeology oral history interview project off to a good start

6 COROMANDEL The reawakening of an art form

8 NORTHLAND Archaeological survey confirms significance of valley

10 TARANAKI Taranaki is set to celebrate its inaugural heritage month

12 FEATURE INTERVIEW Conservation Architect and Built Heritage Advisor Boris Bogdanovic 14 WELLINGTON On the trail of rails - a special heritage feature in Wellington's hills

Showing every stitch and any frays, loose stitches, or damage.

Jasmine says, “It has been a rewarding experience working alongside the kaitiaki of this project. What I have enjoyed the most is knowing that the mahi and wānanga we are doing not only supports Matangireia, but also gives kaitiaki an opportunity to take home what they have learned, share it amongst whanau and potentially apply it to their marae.” Following further wānanga and the completion of the conservation work, Matangireia will reopen for its centenary on 23 August 2022, followed by a reopening ceremony in September 2022. n

16 KERIKERI Rather old fruit...

17 BAY OF ISLANDS Excavation to retrieve kōiwi in response to climate change

18 TOHU WHENUA Putting visitors in the picture

20 NORTHLAND Drone used to record heritage mill and shipyard

21 CANTERBURY Canterbury A&P Show stall will highlight Māori rock art

22 WELLINGTON Become part of the ongoing story of Antrim House heritagenewzealand heritage_nz @heritagenz

Editor: Adrienne Hannan Designer: Michael Steele

Published by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, Heritage Quarterly keeps you up-to-date with heritage news from around New Zealand.

Copyright © Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.

All images credit Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga unless otherwise stated.

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ISSN 2324-4267 (Print) ISSN 2324-4275 (Online).

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