A new generation of Māori artists has begun its journey at the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (NZMACI), continuing a legacy established nearly a century ago to protect, preserve and grow the traditional art forms that sit at the heart of Māori identity.
Twelve tauira from across Aotearoa have been formally welcomed to Rotowhio Marae at Te Puia in Rotorua, where they will embark on intensive training in whakairo rākau (wood carving), stone and bone carving, and raranga (weaving). The intake marks another milestone in the Institute’s 99-year history, a vision first championed by Tā Apirana Ngata through legislation establishing a national centre for Māori arts in 1926.
The annual intake is intentionally small, with just four tauira accepted into each of the Institute’s three national schools. Organisers say the limited class sizes ensure each student receives intensive guidance from tohunga, allowing traditional techniques, mātauranga Māori and tribal knowledge to be passed on to the highest standard.
Among this year’s tauira is Mercia-Dawn Wharerau (Tūhourangi-Ngāti Wāhiao, Ngāti Pikiao), who begins her studies at the National Weaving School while continuing a family legacy. She is the granddaughter of the late Emily Schuster QSM, the inaugural head tutor of the weaving school, highlighting the intergenerational nature of the Institute’s kaupapa.
The pōhiri also reflected the enduring relationship between iwi and the Institute.
Charlie Rahiri, Chair of Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Ranginui, described the occasion as a homecoming, acknowledging the many uri from Tauranga Moana who have studied at NZMACI before returning home to strengthen the cultural capability of their own iwi and communities.
Today, the Institute operates three nationally recognised schools:
- Te Wānanga Whakairo Rākau o Aotearoa – National Wood Carving School.
- Te Takapū o Rotowhio – National Stone and Bone Carving School.
- Te Rito o Rotowhio – National Weaving School.
Together they continue the Institute’s original mission of ensuring the survival and advancement of toi Māori for future generations.
The 2026 intake also comes as NZMACI continues adapting to a new governance model established under the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute Vesting Act 2020, which transferred ownership and stewardship to mana whenua. The legislation reaffirmed the Institute’s responsibility to encourage, foster and promote Māori arts and culture while training future generations of artists from iwi throughout Aotearoa.
Despite its national importance, Institute leaders have continued to advocate for sustainable long-term funding.
Unlike many tertiary providers, NZMACI receives no ongoing operational funding from the Government for delivering its statutory functions. Instead, it increasingly relies on partnerships with iwi, philanthropic organisations and the recently launched NZMACI Foundation, which seeks to secure the future of the Institute through charitable support and strategic investment.
The Institute has produced generations of master carvers and weavers whose work can be found on marae, public buildings and cultural landmarks throughout Aotearoa and around the world.
Its graduates have helped restore traditional carving styles, revitalise weaving practices and ensure tribal artistic traditions continue to flourish in their own rohe.
As NZMACI approaches its centenary in 2026, this latest intake represents more than the beginning of a new academic year.
It is another chapter in a living legacy where whakapapa, mātauranga and creativity continue to be handed from one generation to the next—ensuring that the stories carved into wood, woven into harakeke and shaped from stone remain an enduring expression of Māori identity for generations to come.
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