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Otago Daily Times
03-08-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
New exhibition honours influential leader
An exhibition on a 19th-century Kāi Tahu leader is an opportunity to honour a man who contributed to the rich history of Ōtepoti and Ōtākou, organisers say. Rakatira [leader] and politician Hōri Kerei (H.K.) Taiaroa, who died on this day 120 years ago, is the subject of a Dunedin Public Art Galley exhibition, combining archive materials and taonga tuku iho [heirlooms] with new and existing contemporary art. Riki Te Mairaki Ellison Taiaroa Whānau Trust chairwoman Michelle Taiaroa said H.K. Taiaroa, also known as Huriwhenua, was a significant part of New Zealand's history during a period of time which shaped the country. "Just as significant is the magnificence of the man, in terms of his intellect, in terms of his selfless service," she said. H.K. Taiaroa was likely born at Ōtākou in the 1830s and was known for his tireless efforts as a Southern Māori Member of Parliament and on the Legislative Council. He was regarded as the godfather of Te Kerēme (the Ngāi Tahu Claim) and his records were key to settlement in 1998. Ms Taiaroa (Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha) was a descendant of H.K Taiaroa and said he was a prolific writer — his personal writings displayed in the exhibition included political speeches, records of iwi politics and his thoughts on an archaeological site near Lake Ellesmere. He advocated for the borough council of the day to fund road works towards Taiaroa Head — "I think 'oh good God, we're still fighting to get one corner [of the road] funded," Ms Taiaroa said. "In a great sense we have come a long way, and in another sense, we're still having the same arguments around basic life-force stuff, water, environment. "Without these things, we don't exist well." She hoped the exhibition could show the wider community Dunedin's history went beyond being simply a Scottish city. "The tapestry's deeper than what we have — in a good way." The exhibition was a collaboration between the trust, Dunedin Public Art Galley and Te Rūnaka o Ōtākou. Ōtākou upoko Edward Ellison (Kai Tahu) said the exhibition was in honour of H.K Taiaroa's work to bring justice to his people. "Back then, it must have been a lonely, often, experience — we think it's important here for the city, in Dunedin, in the region, to have the opportunity to learn and understand." Since the claim settlement, the rūnaka had opportunity to use stories and art — such as the exhibit on H.K. Taiaroa — to bring "our history, our people to life again in the region", Mr Ellison said. "It builds that pathway and I think it will hopefully be stronger for our future generations in the future to stand tall." — "H.K. Taiaroa: 'Kua marara hoki ngā mana o tōna kaha ki runga i te katoa"' runs from today until November 23 at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
Otago Daily Times
02-08-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Life of tireless advocate profiled in exhibition
An exhibition opening next week will profile the life of an extraordinary political leader and Kāi Tahu rakatira (chief). The life and legacy of Hōri Kerei (H.K.) Taiaroa and his wife Tini Kerei Taiaroa will be explored at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery exhibition "H.K. Taiaroa: 'Kua marara hoki ngā mana o tōna kaha ki runga i te katoa'." The title is a quote from his personal manuscripts and can be interpreted in English as "His authority and strength is dispersed to all". The exhibition will include contemporary artworks, archival materials, taoka tuku iho (heritage treasures) and existing works by Māori artists. H.K. Taiaroa was born at Ōtākou, on the Otago peninsula, in the 1830s or early 1840s. He was the son of Ngāi Tahu chief Te Mātenga Taiaroa and Mawera of Ngāti Rangiwhakaputa. He married Tini Kerei, a respected and intelligent community leader and they had six sons. H.K. Taiaroa served as a member of the House of Representatives for the Southern Māori district from 1871 and was also a member of the Legislative Council. He was instrumental in petitioning the government to establish a committee to look at "unfulfilled promises to the Natives in the Middle Island", what the South Island was referred to as at the time. This led to the establishment of the 1879 Middle Island Native Purchases Royal Commission of Inquiry. He travelled across Te Waipounamu speaking to kaumātua to gather knowledge as evidence for this inquiry, creating what is now known as the "Taiaroa Map". The commission was not completed due to its funding being halted by a new government. However, his faithful records of knowledge shared by kaumātua became a fundamental piece of evidence to the success of Te Kerēme — the Ngāi Tahu claim. H.K. Taiaroa wrote extensively and his unpublished personal writings became important sources in the revitalisation of Kāi Tahu tikaka (customs), place names and te reo Māori. The exhibition features artworks by contemporary Māori artists Taiaroa Royal and Ephraim Russell. In 1878, H.K. Taiaroa and his family moved into Te Awhitū, a large house he had built at Taumutu near Lake Ellesmere, one of his father's ancestral places. Taiaroa Royal said he was inspired by H.K. Taiaroa's personal writings to create an audiovisual presentation reflecting on his thoughts while standing on the coastline at Taumutu. The exhibition also features works by Ralph Hotere, Fiona Pardington and Gottfried Lindauer as well as taoka such as a kete woven by Tini Kerei Taiaroa. The Dunedin Public Art Gallery is presenting the exhibition in collaboration with descendants of H.K. Taiaroa through the Riki Te Mairaki Ellison Taiaroa Whānau Trust and Te Rūnaka o Ōtākou. Trust chairwoman Michelle Taiaroa said the exhibition presented a look into a turbulent yet special time in the city's early years. "Generally known as a Scottish city, I have always known it to be much more than that. We invite the public to share in the life of our tipuna." • The exhibition opens on Monday.
Otago Daily Times
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Working together, not working apart
"E koekoe te tūī, e ketekete te kākā, e kūkū te kererū." The tūī squawks, the kākā chatters, the kererū coos. It takes all kinds of people.", a whakatauki found in Aroha, Dr Hinemoa Elder. This past week, I found myself at a table in The Link, as many students do at one point or another, working on a group assignment. This assignment was for my treaty politics paper and our assignment was looking into the life of Hōri Kerei Taiaroa, a rangatira of Ngāi Tahu and parliamentarian who represented Southern Māori and played a vital role in the Ngāi Tahu fight for land justice following unfulfilled promises. Tāiaroa's story is one of strategic resistance. He tirelessly wrote petitions, letters, engaged in speeches and debates in Parliament and was heavily involved around the Princes St Reserve that was originally intended as a Māori reserve but was misappropriated by the Crown. It was fascinating learning about the history of a place I had driven and walked past so many times. Our group's research, which drew on parliamentary records, tribunal reports, historic accounts and letters, will now go towards the historical archives of Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou. This outcome made our work feel meaningful far beyond the classroom and I am appreciative of this. This sense of purpose was just one of the reasons the assignment stood out, another was the group dynamic itself. Working in a team isn't always a central feature of many courses — especially in law, where most assignments are individual. Collaboration definitely happens informally, studying together, doing practice exam questions and discussing course content. But opportunities where the final product is a truly shared effort are few and far between. That's part of what made this politics assignment so memorable. Our group included two international students, Pablo, from the United Kingdom, and Eliza, from the United States. It was reassuring and cool to see students from overseas choose to study Treaty politics. Their interest was genuine and real, and their research efforts were integral. The discussions we had around the table each week were some of the most interesting I have had this year. They brought new perspectives to our analysis, questions about how settler colonialism looked in other places, or how land rights were framed in different jurisdictions. Something I have often encountered is that group work gets a bad rap. The cliche is that one or two people end up doing all the work, while the others coast along. That was not my experience, and hasn't been in the few group assignments I have partaken in. I came away from the project feeling energised by how well we worked together. Everyone brought something different to the discussion. On the day of our class presentations, the energy in the room was genuinely supportive. Each group was assigned a different actor in the Princes St Reserve discussions. The result was a series of fascinating accounts of Māori political resistance against land grievances, events that shaped our city. Doing this kind of collaborative, community-focused research, and knowing it would be shared with the rūnaka, was a powerful reminder that university assignments don't have to feel like exercises in box-ticking. They can matter and contribute, and bring people together. The benefits of shared group work are also learned and practised by the many students involved in executive committees, planning events, advocating for peers and bringing in student engagement. These are transferable skills, collaboration, communication and compromise and these lessons will serve us well long after graduation. This wasn't the only example of group spirit that struck me recently. I also went to the Capping Show, a different kind of collective effort, but one that shares a similar DNA: long hours, late nights, creative collaboration. The show was clever, funny, inappropriate and well-polished. You could see the energy, time and effort that had gone into the numbers. The vocal numbers were impressive; there were many talented singers. A friend of mine, Jack, was one of the lead roles and seeing him up there having a great time was my favourite part. Of course, not everyone saw it that way, and a non-negotiable of the Capping Show is its inappropriateness. Critic gave it a fairly harsh review in their "Tabloid Edition", prompting a series of letters to the editor and replies from the Capping Show team that had students whispering and wondering. The back-and-forth reminded me how easy it is to slip into adversarial roles when we disagree, especially in student life, where everyone is trying their best, and getting tired as the end of semester draws near. The lesson for me, in both the group project and the Capping Show v Critic debacle, seemed to be that students lifting each other up is far more powerful than tearing each other down. Whether it is a research project, writing a script for a skit or trying to make it to the library for a morning lecture, we are part of the student community. Working in a group, however informal or imperfect, is a nice reminder that we are not alone. Kind regards, Grace. — Dunedin resident Grace Togneri is a fourth-year law student.
