New Evaluation Shows Successful Support Of Mātauranga Māori

An independent kaupapa Māori evaluation of the Mātauranga Māori Te Awe Kōtuku programme (Te Awe Kōtuku) documents the early impacts and benefits of Te Awe Kōtuku for supporting mātauranga Māori.

Completed by Aiko Ltd, the evaluation is an extensive look into how the programme made a positive difference to the lives of ringatoi Māori, mātanga, tohunga, whānau, marae, hapū and iwi recipients and supported the reclamation, protection, preservation, and transmission of mātauranga Māori.

Joe Fowler, Pou Mataaho o Te Hua Deputy Secretary Delivery & Investment at Manatū Taonga, says that the evaluation highlights how Te Awe Kōtuku supported iwi, hapū, whānau and Māori communities to safeguard at-risk ngā toi Māori artforms, cultural and heritage mātauranga.

"It's incredibly rewarding to see how the Mātauranga Māori Te Awe Kōtuku programme will have long-term benefits for Māori and New Zealand for years to come," says Joe Fowler.

"The programme enabled many communities to revitalise or rediscover their mātauranga which will mean that the next generation can carry this knowledge into the future.

"Aiko's evaluation is an incredible resource that documents not only the impact of Te Awe Kōtuku, but lessons that can help shape future decisions to further preserve, protect and share mātauranga Māori."

While Manatū Taonga oversaw the Te Awe Kōtuku programme, it was a collaborative effort involving government and cultural agencies with specialist expertise around mātauranga and taonga Māori, and their preservation and conservation. These agencies are working in partnership with arts practitioners, Māori-led arts organisations and collectives, marae, hapū and iwi to deliver the initiatives across the motu.

The agencies involved in Mātauranga Māori Te Awe Kōtuku are: Creative New Zealand Arts Council of New Zealand Toi Aotearoa, Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage, Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision, Te Matatini, Te Papa Tongarewa Museum of New Zealand and Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs.

"The initiative has been an incredible opportunity for Māori communities to connect and revitalise knowledge of their heritage places and taonga, saysEllen Andersen, Director Tautiaki Taonga me Kaupapa Māori at Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.

"Our programme focused on Māori architectural and landscape heritage and enabled 103 wānanga and 55 journeys through ancestral landscapes as part of the programme," says Ellen Anderson.

Creative New Zealand says the programme provided vital support to protect and sustain critically endangered ngā toi Māori artforms where there are very low numbers of senior, experienced active practitioners with the required mātauranga and technical knowledge.

"We worked in partnership with tohunga and mātanga to develop programmes that have made a significant difference in regenerating at-risk Māori artforms by looking at how we can better ensure sustainability of artists careers and succession planning in these areas" says Paula Carr, Senior Manager Māori Strategy and Partnerships at Creative New Zealand.

"Our Toi Ake - Mātauranga Māori Te Awe Kōtuku programme supported 45 ngā toi Māori programmes sharing a diverse range of Māori artforms and practice knowledge, including ngā tae oneone, whāriki, kowhaiwhai, tā moko, tūrapa/tukutuku, karanga, whakairo, mōteatea and specific iwi and hapū arts practice knowledge."

The Creative New Zealand programmes were delivered in regions around Aotearoa from the Te Tai Tokerau / Far North, Rotorua, Whakatāne and Waipā Districts to Whanganui, Ōtaki, Marlborough and Waitaki in Te Waipounamu, and Rēkohu Chatham Islands.

"The Te Awe Kōtuku programme provided much needed support to start the process of retaining mātauranga toi that will be beneficial to future generations of New Zealanders. Although the time-limited funding for the programme has stopped, the importance of this kaupapa remains," says Paula Carr.

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