Rangiora teenager to feature at Te Papa
By David Hill, Local Democracy Reporter
When a Rangiora High School pupil volunteered to help make new kapa haka uniforms he never imagined it would lead to his artwork being chosen for a national exhibition.
But year 10 pupil Tiakihana Tavendale’s efforts in making a maro (the piupiu apron boys wear in kapa haka performances) caught the attention of head of creative arts, Claire Aldhamland.
Last Friday, the maro, made entirely from harakeke/flax, was packed at and sent off to Wellington to appear in Te Papa’s Ringa Toi exhibition.
"As his work developed I could see his mahi was outstanding so I suggested we enter him in level 1 NCEA so he could gain some recognition for his work," Aldhamland said.
It soon became clear the work would qualify for an excellence grade, so Aldhamland decided to apply for the annual Ringa Toil exhibition for secondary school students with a focus on Toi Māori and Pacific arts.
Tiakihana found out only last week his artwork had been accepted and the race was on to get it ready.
"I was so happy because I’ve done all this work and to be recognised is quite special."
Tiakihana, who is of Ngāi Tahu descent, has been a member of the school’s kapa haka group since last year.
When he heard staff were going to make new kapa haka uniforms, he decided to join the teachers after school.
The project has been supported by the Puketeraki Kāhui Ako (Rangiora community of learning), with former Rangiora High School pupils Morehu Flutey-Henare and Sue Tipene offering some tutoring.
Tiakihana learned how to harvest the harakeke/flax from scratch, extracting the stems, fibre and thread he needed from the raw flax.
While the stems were dyed in Rangiora High School colours, Tiakihana was able to tell his own story in his art.
"The steps represent the steps of learning and strength and the muka (fibre) represents my teachers who have made an impact on my life."
Tiakihana is keen to learn about his culture and represented the school in the Ngā Manu Kōrero inter-school speech competition this year with his speech "Unapologetically Māori".
Next year he plans to enter a speech entirely in te reo.
Aldhamland said it was the first time Rangiora High School had applied to enter a student’s artwork in a Te Papa exhibition.
"I never expected to be able to say that I’ve got a student exhibiting at Te Papa.
"But I think it is the start of something because now we know the process."
■ Public interest journalism funded through New Zealand on Air.
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Hero
“I was born and raised in war. To be honest, those are not good memories.
I really like Iran, and I really miss it, but I couldn’t be myself there. Even though my family didn’t like my decision, I left Iran. I promised myself that I would do whatever I can for all communities, especially for the kids, so they do not have the same experience I had.
I studied software engineering in Iran and left in 2006. I went to Malaysia and stayed in Kuala Lumpur for seven years. I was admitted to Lincoln University to do my PhD here, but unfortunately, I couldn’t afford the expenses. I requested a scholarship, but they told me I had to be there for six months first. So, I stayed in Malaysia and did my PhD in network security. In December 2013, I came to New Zealand with a work visa.
It took me a while to connect with the Iranian community here. I volunteered with the Multicultural Council, SPCA, and community patrol, and I established the Christchurch Iranian Society in 2017. Before that, I started working on Radio Toranj, the only Farsi-language radio show in New Zealand.
One of the reasons I started organizing cultural events was to showcase Iranian culture. I wanted to show people that we have delicious food, colorful dresses, traditional customs, and our own instruments. My hope was to show people that we are not what you see in the media.
I am working to involve all the communities that celebrate Nowruz, the Persian New Year, in the Nowruz festival in March 2025. We want to share this celebration not only with our community but with the public as well. It’s better when it’s shared.
I remember the first time someone from Dunedin called me and asked, Hero, can you help? Something happened, and they keep declining Iranian visa applications. When I heard that, I felt insulted. We are still human, so how can they do that?
Through this journey, I’ve learned a lot. Every single day, people with different cases call me, and I try to share my knowledge and guide them as much as I can.
I have received several awards, including the Christchurch Civic Award and an Award of Recognition for my contributions to the community during the pandemic. In 2021, I established Canterbury Kia Ora Academy, a charitable trust. Through this charity, I can help other communities as well, not just the Iranian community.”
- Hero
View more stories, or nominate someone: @humansofchch
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