Whatarangi Winiata
Ngāti Raukawa
Tena koutou, ko Whatarangi Winiata tōku ingoa. I am a Te Herenga Waka Taihonoa Intern at Toi Māori Aotearoa. Over the summer, I will be researching and writing about the waka revival, producing biographies, and assisting with the online catalogue for the Ōtaki Weaving Collective.
I’ll be heading into my last year of architecture school at Te Herenga Waka in 2022. Through my years of studies at architecture school, I realized the importance of Māori arts to the success of Māori architecture, as it represents identity, origin, traditions, and genealogy.
In the presence of highly skilled staff and mentors at Toi Māori Aotearoa, it has been an easy transition to do the required work and achieve my dream of becoming a successful Māori architect.”
Ko te pae tawhiti whāia kia tata, ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tīna.
Seek out the distant horizon while cherishing the accomplishments at hand.
Post-internship Statement
In the last ten weeks I have been working alongside my mentor Anna-Marie on the waka revival from the 1990s to the present day, Whiriwhiria “Ōtaki Weaving Collective”, the Hinemoana article, and kaihoe profiles. These milestones strengthen and expand my Māori art knowledge within Toi Māori Aotearoa.
My internship experience at Toi Māori was successful in all ways. My supervisor and mentor Anna-Marie taught me many things. One of the important teachings in my point of view is learning how to appropriately behave and work in an office environment.
