Cloaked in culture
Awhina Tamarapa has been named a finalist for this year’s New Zealand Post Book Awards for her book Whatu Kakahu/Maori Cloaks.
The book follows the Plimmerton resident’s work as curator of Maori artefacts at Te Papa, looking after New Zealand’s largest collection of Maori cloaks.
The cloak collection is in an exhibition at the museum until October.
Tamarapa loves cloaks, or kakahu, calling them ‘‘more than just clothing’’.
‘‘They speak a lot about our Maori culture and our values,’’ she said.
Te Papa’s specialist Maori scholar Arapata Hakiwai had the idea of creating a book while he was director of the museum’s Matauranga Maori team. The museum worked with the national Maori weavers collective Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa, who suggested a wananga as a way for the weavers to work with Te Papa.
A conference was held over three days, where many of the book’s themes were chosen, based on their importance to the weavers involved with the book. Together they decided to feature 40 of the museum’s more rare and precious kakahu, with descriptions of the techniques and materials used, as well as their history.
‘‘They were given to people as a sign of respect and honour,’’ Tamarapa said.
Surprised to be made a finalist, Tamarapa said that writing is just a part of her job at Te Papa, finding out about the artefacts, which is ‘‘like being a detective’’.
‘‘We worked really hard to get it to a really high standard and so I’m not surprised that it’s been acknowledged, but I’m really glad as well for Maori because it promotes Maori, and I think, ‘Well, we’ve done our job really well then if people are appreciating what we’re doing’.’’
The overall winners of the New Zealand Post Book awards will be announced in August.
The Book of the Year award winner will receive $15,000. Winners of the four category awards will each receive $10,000 in prize money.
A prize of $10,000 will also be awarded to the Maori Language Award winner.
There is also a $5000 prize for the People’s Choice Award winner.
For more on the exhibition, see p22.