September 28, 2023
Te Arawa icon granted mural tribute
Rotorua’s ARONUI Indigenous Arts Festival has wound up with the unveiling of a seven-storey mural of Te Arawa icon Mākereti Papakura – the first wāhine Māori to complete a degree at Oxford University 100 years ago this year.
The mural, by Miriama Grace-Smith, Gina Kiel and Xoë Hall from the Dreamgirls Arts Collective, was overseen by Guide Maggie’s great grand niece, June Grant.
She says it was a great honour for the descendants to see the design unfolding each day, revealing the essence of a life dedicated to sharing cultural imperatives such as tikanga, manaakitanga and whānaungatanga.
Festival director Cian Elyse White says the festival drew more than 8000 people to the two-week programme of theatre, film, traditional arts, dance, visual arts and haka.