Loomio
Tue 29 Oct 2013 9:28AM

Kaihaukai TEZA project current plans

MA Mark Amery Public Seen by 16

An art project by Simon Kaan, Ron Bull (Jnr), Priscilla Cowie, Nathan Pohio

Here are the current plans

Project History
The initial inception of Kaihaukai was the setting up of the website www.kaihaukai.co.nz with the intention to have a form in which Ngai Tahu whanui could make participate in short videos which would talking about mahinga kai and there relationship to this practice.

The Kaihaukai project was then developed into a cultural food exchange between the people of Ngāi Tahu and the Native American Pueblo people of New Mexico. The project was presented at the International Symposium of Electronic Arts, held in New Mexico in September 2012 by Simon Kaan and Ron Bull (jnr).

The Kaupapa
“Kaihaukai” is a term that describes the sharing and exchanging of traditional foods between iwi, hapu and whanau and it is an important customary practice for Māori. The Kaihaukai project is centred on Ngāi Tahu mahika kai and relates to working with our traditional foods in their place of origin, which includes preparation, gathering, eating and sharing.

Mahika kai is a rich part of our Ngāi Tahu culture. It forms a connection with those who have gone before us and makes us consider future generations. It assists in the transfer of knowledge and continuation of our cultural practices; some of which are at risk of being lost. It is a way for us to learn about and connect with our whenua, awa, roto and moana.

Kaihaukai, Papawai Ōtakaro Project December 2013

The object of the next installation of the Kaihaukai project is hoped to take place on the banks of Te Ōtākaro with the intent to celebrate/invigorate/rejuvenate stories around mahika kai o Ngāi Tahu alongside contemporary stories associated with the area. The project will include Ngāi Tahu whanui from the rohe as well as from around the motu, along with local school children and other local community. It is anticipated that the project will take place over three days from Friday the 1 December to Saturday the 2nd of December.

Possibilities for the project could include:

Friday November 29, venue Tuahiwi Marea
Priscilla Cowie and Simon Kaan will run a one-day workshop with Te Kura o Tuahiwi tamariki to make flags that tell stories of our mahinga kai. This will involve printing images onto the flags, which will be suspended amongst trees in significant sites in the rohe. It is planned for the workshop to take place at Tuahiwi marae for the day. Nathan Pohio will collaborate by bringing his project “Waitaha Wai” to Tuahiwi School and Tuahiwi Marae, moving something temporal and ephemeral as water across space, between places connected like Otautahi and Tuahiwi.

Saturday 30 November,
A one-day event on the banks of Te Papawiai Ōtakoro, that consists of talking about our mahinga kai and associated stories.
Stories and ideas will inform an art making workshop that will involve drawing on river sticks using oil pastels, weaving and found objects. These sticks will be placed as transitional markers at significant sites. The “ko”, digging stick is a symbol of cultivation but can also be seen as a transitional marker that references our migratory, and seasonal travel that is intrinsic to out identity as Ngai Tahu. It is also a powerful symbol for our iwi referencing our ancestor Rākaihautū in his sculpting of our whenua.

During the project Nathan Pohio will be videl documenting the day and gathering stories from willing participants about their experiences around our mahinga kai. It is hoped that some of these stories can be added to the kaihaukai website for all to enjoy.

As part of achieving the kaihaukai kaupapa we will prepare and share kai including traditional mahinga kai o Ngai Tahu to share and exchange with people. The sharing of food will consist of a gifting of unperishable food in exchange for the traditional foods. The unperishable food will then be distributed back to a local food back for the good of the Christchurch community.

Structure for the two day project

Friday the 1 December 2013
Wananga with school children to make flags, facilitated by Ngai Tahu artists Priscilla Cowie, Nathan Pohio and Simon Kaan.

Saturday the 2nd December
Hanging of flags in the area to mark the nohoanga site and its significance. TEZA to take some flags to be hung in New Brighton.
Meet with Ngai Tahu whanui and others to share stories of mahinga that are related to the rohe.
Start to gather ideas and work in groups to make the rakau ko.
Serving of mahinga kai with Ngai Tahu Artist, whanua and community with exchange for food-bank. Food prepared by Ron Bull Jnr and others foodies

RB

Renew Brighton Thu 31 Oct 2013 12:56AM

Kia ora, This is beautiful and sure to be close to the heart of many people. A couple of whom spring to mind as co-promoters, collaborators & general community lovelies:
Bailey Perryman: Gardencity 2.0 - we collaborated on a food asset mapping exercise to understand food in our city spaces- both the historical significance and future possibilities. he'd love this. email [email protected]
next, you could speak to evan smith: he's the co-chair of the avon-otakaro network. their vision is to see the avon river corridor, zoned red by the government post quake, developed into a beautiful green zone that supports the people and the planet (my interpretation). they'll love this, too: [email protected]
ka mihi
b

MA

Mark Amery Thu 31 Oct 2013 6:15AM

Thats great have also noted to @philip1 Dadson the bike corridor down Otakaro. I see is planned

SJ

Sophie Jerram Sun 10 Nov 2013 9:14AM

Kia ora @simonkaan
just re-reading your description again I wanted to drop into the mix a project using android phones designed by a friend of mine, Eugenio Tisselli, living in Barcelona. He's actually Mexican but has been working with farmers all over the world to have them document the effects of climate change but I could imagine this could easily be the effects of pollution/flooding/etc on food abundance in rivers.
This slideshow shows the project working in Tanzania. If we were to imagine a resurrection of mahinga kai sites for Ōtakoro, it could be v useful.
http://www.slideshare.net/EugenioTisselli/using-mobile-technologies-to-empower-rural-farmers-facing-climate-change-in-tanzania

SK

simon kaan Tue 12 Nov 2013 8:50AM

Kia ora Rebecca
Arohamai for the delay in response as I have just noticed your post on Loomio. I think it would be great to have Bailey Perryman and others to come along on the Saturday and to be part of this Ngai Tahu kaupapa, please pass on details of the event to them. simon