HE WHETÚ KI TE RANGI
Dr Diggeress Rangituatahi Te Kanawa Ngäti Maniapoto, Ngäti Kinohaku
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e Wänanga o Aotearoa mourns the passing of a tohunga raranga and lifetime teacher, Dr Diggeress Te Kanawa, who died on 31 July, aged 89. Te Pouhere, Bentham Ohia, says, “She embodied the humility, aroha and commitment of an almost lost generation.” Diggeress was born in 1920 not long after the end of World War I. Her father Taonui Hetet named her in honour of the ‘diggers’ he fought alongside in the Pioneer Mäori Battalion during the First World War. She was raised in a close-knit community near Te Küiti, where traditional Mäori art forms like weaving and carving were still being taught to younger generations. Diggeress learnt to weave from her mother, the late Dame Rangimarie Hetet, and the pair is credited with the revival of traditional raranga,
particularly the weaving of käkahu. While Diggeress is famous for her weaving, daughter Aroha Te Kanawa says, “Mum was never idle and continued to challenge herself creatively. To me she is not only a weaver, but also a dressmaker, fashion designer, screen-printer and craft-maker. She would make something amazing out of nothing.” Her cloaks, kete and other woven treasures grace museums and art galleries around the world. Her work has been included in exhibitions such as Te Waka Toi: Contemporary Art from New Zealand (1992), and Te Aho Mutunga Kore, which toured the United States. She received numerous awards and accolades during her lifetime, including an honorary doctorate from the University of Waikato and the distinction of being named one of New Zealand’s 10 official ‘icon’ artists.
Diggeress was a foundation kaiako at Te Wänanga o Aotearoa. In 2008, she received the inaugural He Kura Waka o Te Wänanga o Aotearoa Award for her immense contribution to the protection, preservation and development of mätauranga raranga. Bentham Ohia says, “We have been blessed to have shared in the gifts of Diggeress Te Kanawa, and we share in the deep sadness still felt by her whänau at this time.” She has left behind her 92-year-old husband, Tana Te Kanawa, 12 children and more than 100 mokopuna.
Dr Tuhuatahi Tui Adams Ngäti Maniapoto
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he loss of respected kaumätua and tikanga expert Dr Tui Adams has left a great void at Te Wänanga o Aotearoa.
Dr Adams was a bedrock of support for the institution’s co-founder and former Tumuaki, Dr Rongo Wetere, a commitment he continued when Bentham Ohia was appointed Te Pouhere, following the resignation of Dr Wetere. “Dr Adams was a reservoir of knowledge and an authority on Tainui tribal history, which includes iwi from Waikato, Maniapoto, Hauraki and Raukawa,” said Bentham. “He has had a massive influence on our wänanga, and on me personally as well as on so many people associated with Te Wänanga o Aotearoa,” says Bentham.
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KÖANGA Spring
HE WHETÚ KI TE RANGI
Tui was a key advisor, mentor and spokesperson for Kïngi Tuheitia and the late Mäori Queen, Dame Te Atairangikaahu. Bentham says, “Koro Tui was a man steeped in learning, who carried himself with a quiet dignity. He was an exceptionally generous man, who committed his life to sharing the knowledge he had acquired, and in nurturing a passion for learning in others.” He was a kaumätua at Te Wänanga o Aotearoa and a kaiako matua of Te Arataki Manu Körero, a programme he co-founded with Tumuaki Dr Rongo Wetere. Te Arataki Manu Körero assists Tainui elders to understand better Tainui tikanga and history. It was set up to ensure the continuity of Tainui traditions and identity with a specific focus on kaumätua. The successful programme has been adopted by many iwi and rohe throughout the country.
Dr Adams received a Queen’s Service Medal in 2000 for services to the Mäori community and in 2003 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Waikato. Mr Ohia said the much loved and respected Tainui kaumätua retained a lightning wit and good humour despite deteriorating health. “His passing leaves a great sadness in me and among the multitudes of people he touched. He was a deep well of knowledge that will be greatly missed.