Maori leader and arts advocate Te Aue Davis
Taku manawa e kakapa nei. E kakapa ana ki nga whetu, ki te marama ka tau nei ki te rua. Katahi au ka kite i te he, Katahi au ka kite i te mate. Ko taku tau kahurangi, ka riro kei Paerau, ki te huihuinga o te kahurangi. Ka oti atu koutou e. E te kuia morehu, te ringa kaikaha o te whare pora, kua rere atu ra koe ki te kahui rangatira e tatari mai i runga i o maunga, kia kakengia e koe to waka whakarei ki Te Reinga e titiro ake ai koe ki nga tai e rua e papaki mai ra. E kore a muri e hokia.
Creative New Zealand mourns the loss of Maori leader and arts advocate Te Aue Davis (Ngati Uekaha and Maniapoto) who passed away on Sunday at the age of 85.
Te Aue Davis was a key figure in the renaissance of the Maori weaving movement, co-founding the Aotearoa Moananui-a-Kiwa Weavers Association in 1983. She worked extensively with the Department of Conservation to develop their understanding of the importance of artists having access to natural resources for the continuation of mahi harakeke. This resulted in policy changes that allowed weavers access to plants and feathers from protected birds that had been previously inaccessible. In 1985 Te Aue Davis was honoured for her commitment to the protection and preservation of mahi harakeke by becoming the first Te Waka Toi Award recipient.
Chair of Te Waka Toi, Darrin Haimona says that her determination and vision set a benchmark for the awards which have been going for 25 years.
“We cannot underestimate the influence of Te Aue Davis and her advocacy of the arts; from her talent as a gifted linguist in Tainui traditions to her work with the weavers, she has left a legacy of leadership and commitment to toi Maori,” he said.
Te Aue Davis is at her ancestral marae Te Kaputuhi in Waitomo.
Ko te mate kino nei ko ana haere iti ko ana haere rahi. Rikiriki naonao ko te tama a te petipeti, ko te tama a te rangahua kuku matawhare kutia mai ra e kauhau ariki, he kauhau taniwha anei ko koe tera. Na reira haere atu ra, moe mai ra koe e te kuia.
