Ngā toi ana,
Ngā ana whakairo,
Ngā tuhituhi whenua
Customary Māori rock art is referred to by many names, holds many interpretations, and links many layers of whakapapa that connect us to the practice of our tūpuna. Here is a selection of external resources which share an insight into the legacy of ngā ana whakairo.
Ross Hemera
Ngā ringatoi o Ngāi Tahu
Professor Ross Hemera can best be described as a rangatira of the Ngāi Tahu art aesthetic. Drawing inspiration from the landscape of Te Waipounamu and in particular, the rock art created by his tīpuna, his works are creative expressions of contemporary Māori pattern, design and imagery, and expand the tradition of Ngāi Tahu visual culture.
This video is one of a series produced by Ngāi Tahu, profiling their esteemed artists.
Podcast: Aotearoa Unearthed
Episode 6: Māori Rock Art
Aotearoa Unearthed: Archaeology for Everyone is a new podcast by Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga, produced in partnership with the New Zealand Archaeology Association.
This episode talks with Gerard O’Regan and Amanda Symon about Māori rock art. Gerard explains the wider context of Māori rock art: how much is there, where is it, how was it made and what does it mean? Amanda shares her experiences conserving rock art, and how ecological restoration can preserve the limestone ecosystems of Māori rock art sites
“Set in stone” is a National Geographic article by Sally Blundell with photography by Rob Brown.
National Geographic has acknowledged their decades-long racist depiction of indigenous peoples and in 2018 publicly announced they would do better. This change seems to be slow-moving.
“Set in stone” was written in 2010 from a non-Māori perspective. This piece offers mātauranga from Ngāi Tahu kaumatua, Trevor Howse, but there are also some loaded Pākeha presumptions in the mix too. Kia tūpato, approach this article with caution.
“Elaborately, painstakingly rendered upon solid rock, early Maori rock art was scribed into sandstone, scratched under granite overhangs, and painted in red kōkōwai and charcoal to point to food sources, record genealogy or confer tapu upon sites that served as both shelter and canvas for the first New Zealanders. But the drawings and etchings are susceptible to gradual environmental decay and the enthusiasm of those who visit to admire them. Despite enduring for centuries, these messages from another age are gradually fading from view”