Published in: Kokiri Issue 10 - Hereturikōka - Mahuru 2008
Kei te whakatu a Rakeiuekaha Kingi o Ngāti Turumakina o Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Tuhourangi me Ngāti Whakaue i tētahi pakihi toi Māori e kīa ana ko Tangata Whakairo Ltd.
Kua toru tau a ia e whakawhanake ana i tana pakihi.
He tini ngā taonga kua whakairohia e ia pērā me ngā pou maharatanga, ngā pou tokomanawa, ngā poupou, ngā maihi, ngā tekoteko, ngā heru, ngā tiki, ngā taurapa, ngā tauihu, ngā hoe, ngā waka mauri, ngā rākau riri, ngā patu, ngā whakawae me te maha noa atu.
“I a au i Ahitereiria ka tapu ake te kōingo ki tōku Māoritanga. Koirā i hoki mai ai au ki Aotearoa ki te awhi i aku iwi me aku hapu,” tā Rakeiuekaha.
“Ka whakaaro ake au, kāore au i te hiahia ki te kōrero noa iho i taku Māoritanga engari ko te whakamahi kē i taku Māoritanga mā te whakairo,” tāna anō.
I te tau 2000 ka riro i a ia he tiwhikete reo Māori mai i te kuratini o Te Waiariki.
Nō te tau i muri mai, ka tīmata ana mahi mō tana tohu whakairo rākau me tana tiwhikete whakaako pakeke i te New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute ki Rotorua.
Hei tā Rakeiuekaha, ko te tokomaha o ngā tāngata e whakaaro nei ko te whakairo he hoko taonga noa iho ki te turuhi, engari rā ia he nui noa atu ngā painga me ngā mātauranga o tēnei momo mahi ko te whakapapa, te hītori, te wairua me te hāpai tonu i ngā tikanga a ngā mātua tupuna.
Nō te tau 2006 ka whakaae te Kaporeihana Whenua ā iwi o Ngāti Whakaue kia rīhi a Tangata Whakairo Ltd he whenua me ngā whare kei te take o te maunga Ngongotahā hei whakawhānui atu i te pakihi nei.
Nō taua tau anō ka tono atu a Rakeiuekaha ki Te Ratonga Kaipakihi o Te Puni Kōkiri kia āwhinatia mai ko te whakatupuranga o tana pakihi.
“I rawe te tautoko a Te Puni Kōkiri i ahau ki te waihanga i tētahi mahere pakihi,” hei tāna.
Ināianei kei te anga te titiro a te pakihi nei ki te hanga i tētahi toa hokohoko ki Rotorua me te whakatu i tētahi rautaki toi Māori mō ngā marae me ngā hapori Māori huri noa i a Aotearoa.
Me he kaupapa whakairo tāu whakapā atu ki a Rakeiuekaha Kingi mā te īmera: tangatawhakairo@hotmail.com waea atu rānei 07 343 7287.