Iwi Icons Project
Here is some thinking out loud about an idea called 'iwi icon projects'. The purpose of the proposed 'iwi icon' projects is to demonstrate creativity and innovation in mātauranga Māori and involving Māori communities (iwi), to model ways of conducting initiatives of excellence and esteem within iwi communities and to develop activities that are both economically and culturally sustainable (at the same time). The inspiration for the project can be drawn from a number of places. Firstly, the name of an eponymous ancestor might be used, such as Raukawa. The meaning of the name itself might catalyse a new creative activity, such as the creation of a new perfume based upon the raukawa plant.
A second potential source of ideas are taonga of traditional association and obvious association with a particular iwi. For example, Lake Taupō and Tongariro have long been associated with Ngāti Tūwharetoa. Taranaki has long been associated with the iwi of that region. The idea is to find something of deep meaning to a particular iwi, something that goes to the heart of the identity and mana of those people. We can look into these concepts and establish them as a kaupapa for iwi activities and use them to inspire a new creative activity.
A second aspect of the 'iwi icon projects' is the idea that because the proposed initiative is particularly connected to the mana of an iwi, iwi members are requested to offer special assistance and goodwill to the project. They are asked to suspend their normal concerns and instead focus upon ensuring that the success of the project is achieved and esteem and mana is upheld. The traditional whakataukī is "kei mōnēnehu te kura", (Lest the plumes become wet). The recent tangi for Te Arikinui Te Atairangikāhu was a good example of the kind of goodwill envisaged here. During the tangi, our normal day to day concerns and problems with each other were put aside for the benefit, mana and esteem of our recently departed Ariki. The iwi icon projects asks the same thing of our people - to pull together, to resist the temptation of pūhaehae, ngau tuarā and apo, for the benefit of the mana of the initiative connected as it is with the very heart of our iwi.
A further aspect of the iwi icons project is the desire to harmonise economic activities with cultural and social activities. The project asks - is it possible to create an enterprise that is both commercially sustainable and achieves cultural and social goals at the same time? Many distinctive cultural activities, such as the opening of whare nui, contain elements that might be commercially viable. However, this would need to be developed in a way that harmonised with cultural imperatives - concerns will relate to such things as the notion of 'selling our culture', ensuring that benefits are shared appropriately, compromising and/or undermining the integrity of our cultural items through the sale of certain items and more.
One final idea - today, iwi struggle to offer iwi members a coherent set of ideas, values and vision which arise from our iwi backgrounds and which give meaning to our membership in the iwi. This is not to say that there is no meaning at all, or that there has never been meaning. However, it is to suggest that each iwi needs to develop a set of ideas, values and perspectives which say something like, "To be a part of Ngāti... is to have this view of life, to have these values, to have these kinds of experiences and to live life like this..." The iwi icon projects are a potential way of creating the kind of meaning suggested here.
A second potential source of ideas are taonga of traditional association and obvious association with a particular iwi. For example, Lake Taupō and Tongariro have long been associated with Ngāti Tūwharetoa. Taranaki has long been associated with the iwi of that region. The idea is to find something of deep meaning to a particular iwi, something that goes to the heart of the identity and mana of those people. We can look into these concepts and establish them as a kaupapa for iwi activities and use them to inspire a new creative activity.
A second aspect of the 'iwi icon projects' is the idea that because the proposed initiative is particularly connected to the mana of an iwi, iwi members are requested to offer special assistance and goodwill to the project. They are asked to suspend their normal concerns and instead focus upon ensuring that the success of the project is achieved and esteem and mana is upheld. The traditional whakataukī is "kei mōnēnehu te kura", (Lest the plumes become wet). The recent tangi for Te Arikinui Te Atairangikāhu was a good example of the kind of goodwill envisaged here. During the tangi, our normal day to day concerns and problems with each other were put aside for the benefit, mana and esteem of our recently departed Ariki. The iwi icon projects asks the same thing of our people - to pull together, to resist the temptation of pūhaehae, ngau tuarā and apo, for the benefit of the mana of the initiative connected as it is with the very heart of our iwi.
A further aspect of the iwi icons project is the desire to harmonise economic activities with cultural and social activities. The project asks - is it possible to create an enterprise that is both commercially sustainable and achieves cultural and social goals at the same time? Many distinctive cultural activities, such as the opening of whare nui, contain elements that might be commercially viable. However, this would need to be developed in a way that harmonised with cultural imperatives - concerns will relate to such things as the notion of 'selling our culture', ensuring that benefits are shared appropriately, compromising and/or undermining the integrity of our cultural items through the sale of certain items and more.
One final idea - today, iwi struggle to offer iwi members a coherent set of ideas, values and vision which arise from our iwi backgrounds and which give meaning to our membership in the iwi. This is not to say that there is no meaning at all, or that there has never been meaning. However, it is to suggest that each iwi needs to develop a set of ideas, values and perspectives which say something like, "To be a part of Ngāti... is to have this view of life, to have these values, to have these kinds of experiences and to live life like this..." The iwi icon projects are a potential way of creating the kind of meaning suggested here.
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