Bay freezing works’ story needs local input
Malo lalei, talofa lava, te¯na¯ koutou, and hello there. This is my first missive written from the MTG, as I am the new curator taonga Ma¯ori for MTG Hawke’s Bay Tai Ahuriri. Otherwise known in the native as kaitiaki taonga Ma¯ori Ahuriri Nga¯ti Kahungunu. No¯ reira te¯na¯ ra koutou katoa.
My name is Te Hira Henderson, Nga¯ti Kahungunu, Nga¯ti Porou. Down the pa¯ I’m called Nene or Pete. A characteristic trait of my bicultural personality, combining the cultural attitudes and customs of two nations.
My background leading me here is just as wide, complex and diverse. Born into this world of light in 1960 Hastings I was raised as Nga¯ti Kahungunu Waipatu, a native. Educated at St Johns College in Latin, I became more Catholic than the Pope — and having a red-coat soldier as a great-grandfather, I am more English than many of my Pa¯keha¯ kinsfolk. In accordance with the Treaty of Waitangi I am entitled to equal rights and should be granted a British Passport. In hindsight, when I left Hawke’s Bay at age 17, I think I needed counselling!
In 1978 my working career started at Avalon Television Studios as a trainee television assistant on various shows such as Ready to Roll, Radio With Pictures, Country Calendar, Telethon, and all the rest, progressing to floor manager.
In 1985, I transferred to TVNZ Auckland to direct and produce the beginnings of Ma¯ori language programmes for television, initially documenting the oral history of our kuia and koroua. This was an effort to drag us out of the time warp of my greatgrandfather’s time and to change the status quo of NZ from a monolingual English country. This revitalising and normalising of te reo I continue to the present day. In the last two years I also combined this with funeral directing — one can see the similarity.
After 41 years I have returned to my ancestral home and this year have been granted the fortunate opportunity as kaitiaki taonga Ma¯ori. It is absolutely fantastic. And so are the roads — I became too scared riding my bike in Auckland.
I am working on preparing an upcoming exhibition called Rongonui, translating as Famous.
In this case any object or person that is Rongonui is for this exhibition. For example, in the museum collection is a tiki, once owned by Kawiti (a Nga¯ Puhi chief) and given to Sir Apirana Ngata (a Nga¯ti Porou chief). As Kawiti and Apirana are both Rongonui, the gifting between them makes this tiki very Rongonui indeed.
Researching is not so much a job, it’s a passion. Luke (who locks up) has had to expel me from the building twice, and I’ve also had to be let back in after hours, but only once. The MTG staff have been most welcoming, helpful, and bi-culturally very embracing. A couple want to speak only Ma¯ori to me, and another wants to accompany me whenever I go to the marae.
I am also proposing a future exhibition on freezing works in Hawke’s Bay, which will be a big exhibition if the proposal is accepted.
The first closure of a freezing works in Hawke’s Bay was Whakatu¯ in 1986, with Tomoana following in 1994. The closing of the Whakatu¯ freezing works shattered and dispersed a community which impacted through generations, causing premature death and severe physical and mental illnesses — changing families forever.
A study by Vera Keefe-Ormsby, titled “Tihei Mauriora: The Human Stories of Whakatu¯” relays the sadness, the loss, compounding negatively on families and a community. It does tell positive stories — women holding families together, positive career changes, an increase in Ma¯ori education subject matter, and wonderful race relations — however it ultimately tells of the extinction of a way of life and a community.
As I am in the research/rangahau stage, I would appreciate hearing from anyone who worked at the freezing works. I am wanting to gather in stories and find related objects for potential display.
Well, heoi ano¯ ra, a te wa¯ ano¯,
Te Hira Henderson
"Researching is not so much a job, it’s a passion."