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l have to admit that I went along full of scepticism, President’s Messoge and had the attitude of the full executive — that NZ was doubtful about the mileage we were getting out of WCC, ISSN 0111-963X into the CONTENTS and we weren‘t at all sure about how we fitted international picture —— to take into that meeting. 2, 3, 4 .. .........Keeping Alive Korowai Weaving Glenys’ background is in agricultural journalism and ‘Straight Furrow’. I quickly got sorted out on that score. 5, 6, 7Crafts In The Quarry she works for the farming newspaper, The meeting established that we had much in com- 8 ..... ...Tom Scott’s View She has a keen interest in the crafts and will be work— mon, still more to learn frotn each other, and defined 9, 10 ....... Return To The Simple Things ing with us and with Jenny Pattrick as an adviser to put ways for each member country to achieve common ob- 11, 12 ....Carmon Slater; At Home In Colorado out what we hope you will find an exciting magazine. jectives. 13 ..................... .....Gordon Crook’s Exhibition We will maintain the high quality of the publication lt affirmed very positively that the Asia/Pacific basin 14 ................................. ....Lombard Exhibition through advertising, which will be handled by an adver— is our nei lourhood, that we belong in this arena ...From The Executive Director tising manager. geographically, politically and culturally, and should con- 16, 17........................Crafts Council Executive Grant Finch, who edited the previous three issues, is tinue with whatever effort is necessary to endorse that 18 The Crafts Centre, Membership no longer associated with the magazine and has return— position. ..Miscellaneous ed to full time leather work. It's difficult to quantify the reasons further in a few 20 ......... ................................ .....Awards Any comments, suggestions, correspondence etc. will lines. but there is something in the distinction that our 21-27 .Educational Courses Full and Part Time be welcomed. craft is not steeped in tradition and therefore inhibited 28 . ..... The Resource Centre We hope to provoke you to write lots of Letters to by inflexible attitudes to new methods and ideas. 29 ...... ..............................Catalogues For Loan the Editor. Many ofour neighbouring craftspeople are caught up 30 ...................... ......................Slides For Loan in this bind, yet they can offer us the wisdom and ex- 31 ....... .................................Catalogue Articles The Crafts Council Magazine is published every two perience that only centuries of practice and application 32 ........... ..... Exhibitions and Events months by the Crafts Council. can bring. Typesetting and Composition by Comset and Printing by Roberts Print. Complete Model Editor Editor: Glenys Christian. Assuming then that Rose is correct, and we do have This issue is the first one edited by Glenys Christian, Advertising Manager: Karen Morath. so much going for us down here, what is it that prevents who is a professional journalist. Correspondence should be addressed to: The Editor, us from being the complete model with the best \\ ork, She is Wellington based, but travels extensively PO Box 1654, Wellington. too? throughout New Zealand and hopes to be able to meet Advertising enquiries to Karen Morath, PO Box 1654, I believe it has a lot to do with training and education. as many craftspeople as possible. Wellington. Phone 737—269. When you think about it, almost everything that has made craft in New Zealand what it is, has been won out l of sheer effort and commitment to something that we believe in, for wh tever reasons. Ml ' j " grw‘Im Rose Slivka is a wonderful personality who lives in The only real educational initiatives in this region for New York. craft development are happening in Australia where the ill/l" \l l' l . She is the Editor ofthat fine paper ‘(Zraft lnternational‘ past ten cars has seen many institutions open up courses and has been involved in and writing about the craft in the crafts. \ movement for the past 50 years or so. The results are speaking for themselves and we clear— Rose has possibly the best historical perspective on ly need to follow the example. craft of anyone that [ know, and l treasure the few days But also, and perhaps more importantly, we need to that we stayed with her in her Soho house (after she believe in ourselves. rescued us from the $80 a day uptown hotel that we had Almost every visiting craftsperson is impressed, even been staying in). staggered, by what is happening here and continues to Rose told me that the most exciting energy in the craft endorse a confidence that we are reluctant to accept to world is coming from this Asian region, of which we ourselves. both agreed that New Zealand is a part. It is a condition that possibly prevents us from ex— Not necessarily the best work, please note ,,_ it‘s not pressing our real uniquen ss and affects our entire socie- time yet to get all puffed up with ego and pride — but ty at many different levels. the best energy, yes. The explanation in the past has been that we are too I can‘t say that I appreciated the real significance of inward looking, but I believe that it is because when we what she was saying at that time, but since those late look out, we look in the wrong direction. evening raves and some lS,()()()km of further travel, 1 We look to a cultural heritage that came along with am beginning to understand. our past but which should have been left behind. It has to do with our geographical location, the varie- Our future lies in a more confident acceptance of what ty of cultures, and the commitment to craft as a way of and where we are, not only as craftspeople but as a na» life. tion, and you and l have just as important a part to play (lertainly this is :m accepted fact in many of our in the re-formation of this sense of identity as anyone neighbouring countries and i don‘t believe it has yet else. achieved the correct measure of acceptance in New Next time you are planning a holiday or more of the Zealand. but we're getting there slowly. great overseas experience. try travelling as :1 crafts- person up through some of our neighbouring countries Members of the Crafts Council Executive meet in Wellington. Scepticism and discover what Rose Slivka was talking about for Back row, left to right: Nell van Asch,Margery Blackman (Vice-president), Christine Ross (Executive Much of what Rose had talked about was borne out yourself. Director), Carin Wilson (President), John Finn, Philip Clarke (Resource Officer), Suzy Pennington. by my attendance at an Asian Regional Assembly of the Front row: Fiona Thompson, Jenny Shearer, Frederika Ernsten, James Walker, Roger Brittain. World (Iralts (Zouncil in Sri Lanka. Carin Wilson Absent was Cliff Whiting. So another week’s teaching was organised. But there was the more informal training as well. Three women from one marae wanted their own korowai so they came to Digger’s place to learn the art right from the first stage of cutting the flax. Then she went back to their homes for a week to finish the tuition. The techniques were also passed on to family members as well. Keeping Alive A granddaughter—in—law of Rangimarie’s, Elanor Hetet, now teaches the craft in Wellington. Rangimarie herself has represented New Zealand at a Polynesian Festival held in New Guinea in 1980, and has been featured along with Digger in a number of books Korowoi Weovi mg on weaving techniques. And cloaks made by her have been featured in a number of ceremonial occasions. Duncan Macintyre and When Digger Te Kanawa finished her first piece of weaving as a child, her father gave it away. the late Norman Kirk and Dame Ruth Kirk have all worn “I cried and cried, I thought it was so unfair,” she said. cloaks made by her in the past. “But I understood when I got older that if you keep it, you’re satisfied with that. But if you give it Actually teaching the art on the type of level away, it makes you more eager to make your next one.” Rangimarie and Digger have done is in itself breaking new ground. Digger and her 90 year old mother Rangimarie Hetet pleted her first pupu or skirt at the age of 14. In the old days, women were never seen making the were honoured in the Women’s Awards this year for “I didn’t do any more for a while after that,” she said. cloaks. their contribution to keeping alive the art of Maori “I had other things to think about. They were quickly stored away out of sight when weaving. “But by the time I wanted to come back to it, I was there were other people around. For although many young girls learnt the skills involv- raising a family and didn’t have the time.” And it was said too that if you taught anyone older ed, once they grew older they didn’t have the time or But it was back in 1951 when it was realised that the than yourself or from outside your own tribe you ran motivation to start once again. skill was dying because of the lack of people involved the risk of losing your knowledge. Digger says she was always interested in the weaving. in 1t. “But there seems to be more demand than ever these She made her first piece when she was 11 and com— “Mum and I saw that there were a lot of Maori women days," Digger said.

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