Well-respected kuia celebrates 95th birthday
The daughter of a strong pantribal Maori woman had her ‘‘path laid out for her’’ the day she was born.
And on Taranaki Anniversary that daughter celebrated her 95th birthday, with those whose path she had helped to sculpt.
Matekitawhiti Carr, better known as ‘‘Aunty Mate’’ or ‘‘nan’’ to many, of Ngati Ruanui, Nga Ruahine, Te Atiawa, Nga Rauru, and Wainuiarua - Whanganui, celebrated her years with about 130 people at Wharepuni Marae in Hawera.
Matekitawhiti’s granddaughter Rewatu Carr said the day of celebrations was enjoyed by everyone, including her grandmother.
‘‘She loved it,’’ Rewatu said. Matekitawhiti suffers from a ‘‘bit of’’ Alzheimers, but she was herself on the day.
‘‘We didn’t know if she’d be overwhelmed, but when she comes to things like that there’s a familiarity for her about being back on her marae and being
‘‘When she comes to things like that there's a familiarity for her about being back on her marae and being amongst her people.’’
Rewatu Carr
amongst her people. She just comes right back to being herself,’’ she said.
Matekitawhiti was well known for many achievements in her time, plus her fashion sense and ‘‘famous’’ baking, including her help establishing the Kohanga Reo movement not only regionally, but nationally.
Kohanga Reo are early childhood centres that were developed to cultivate and revitalise Te Reo in the late 20th century.
Rewatu said her grandmother was one of the many who had a ‘‘vision’’ to create centres to expose children to the native language again.
‘‘In the 80s the language had quite been lost so the idea was that we foster that in the children and that they’d be able to grow up with the language,’’ she said.
Matekitawhiti’s mother Rongomaipaia Luke, of Rangatapu, may not have had the fashion sense of her daughter but she was also a leader in her time.
Rawetu said her greatgrandmother Luke was well respected and responded to the call of her people with both ‘‘stamina and grace’’ - a trait her daughter held too.
‘‘People still talk about her to this day,’’ she said.