Cook Islands artists advocate return to the past

Transcript

Master artists from the Cook Islands are urging a return to traditional techniques to ensure their skills are preserved.  

The group of six are travelling throughout New Zealand on a Creative New Zealand artists exchange.

The artists say modern technology and colonisation have altered how Cook Islands art forms are produced.

Daniela Maoate-Cox asked the artists how they meld the past and the present:

Below the surface of the water the different fish give clues as to how close the vaka is to land. On the horizon the rising and setting sun replaces a compass and by night the stars guide the navigator across the ocean. Master vaka navigator, Tua Pittman, says the traditional art of navigation has been wiped out in the Cook Islands, so two decades ago he travelled to Micronesia to learn the craft. As a tribute to those who taught him he advises young people tilt their heads away from Google maps and up to the skies above.

TUA PITTMAN: We are right now passing on to the youth not only the role of navigation and how it's an important part of the Pacific but also what the vaka stands for and how, since time began, it's always been a part of our culture, our reo, our dance, our karakia, our preparation of food, our connection to different iwi from different islands. It all evolves around the vaka.

Mr Pittman says there is a murmuring of interest from the younger generation.

TUA PITTMAN: When you're competing with iPhones and the technology of this day, you find that there are some children out there, some kids who actually can relate to the past, to learn about who they will be in the future.

Mr Pittman says each vaka carries the kaupapa or heritage of the tribe that sails that canoe and the youth can discover their history by retracing the ocean paths of their ancestors. But traditional ta tatou artist Tetini Pekepo is urging caution for the younger generation who are swayed by fashion trends to permanently mark their skin.

TETINI PEKEPO: In some ways people will look at them differently, even though tatou is an accepted practice these days in some societies, I feel that it is not fully accepted throughout the world.

A wide range of people come to Mr Pekepo for tatau including doctors, lawyers, judges, men and women.

He says a lengthy discussion is necessary before his tools touch the skin.

TETINI PEKEPO: It represents a time in someone's life, it also represents their culture. I try to stress that on individuals especially young people. I've actually got a sign in my studio that says I won't tattoo anyone under 18 unless they've got parents permission but I've actually done a 12 year old, 14, [and] 15 year old with parents' permission.

Balancing the fashion trends of young people with tradition is also a point of contention for Cook Islands costume designer and choreographer Minar Henderson.

MINAR HENDERSON: It's just influenced by the outside world. They see the costumes made in Hawaii and Tahiti and they're slightly more flamboyant and colourful so they want the same effect.

She is pushing for people to trade in purchased feathers for the natural fibres of the surrounding land.

MINAR HENDERSON: There's no reason to go out and buy imported feathers, plastic nylon thread, even the nylon rope for the costumes, it's around us, it's there, get out and harvest your fibres that you need.

Ms Henderson says harvesting the natural fibres such as rito, is hard work which puts some people off.

But she says the enthusiasm at this year's celebrations for the Cook Islands 50th anniversary of self governance has eased any concerns her art-form will be lost.

MINAR HENDERSON: This year they really went out and showed costumes and styles of their past, where they've come through time, through the 50 years to now so some of the costumes became a little larger, others toned it down to more traditional, but overall it was just amazing.

Another art form that is set to stand the test of time is Cook Islands drumming.

But drummer Mark Short says there are strong supporters of the traditional style and his modern twists are sometimes met with resistance.

MARK SHORT: When you have more instruments you can compose different compositions and so you're very limited the traditional way because you just have the one log drum. Well when you have six instruments you can do different combinations so the people that I teach and the kinds of compositions I do is that drummers will have up to six instruments. So you'd have the big log drum, you'll have a stand that can accommodate three small pate of different sounds, on the side you'd have a cabin bread tin, and on the other side you'll have the bongo.

Mr Short says he is determined to pass on the skill of drumming to the next generation and dedicates a lot of his time to teach youth, including young women.

MARK SHORT: The reality is we don't have enough drummers and i think that if we dont' do something now to teach our young kids in ten years time, we'll be dancing to CDs, we won't have any more drummers, that's how bad it is. So I've broken the mold by trying to teach girls because I'll teach anyone who wants to learn.

DANIELA MAOATE-COX: I was going to ask, do females drum as well? not traditionally?

MARK SHORT: Traditionally they haven't, but I've broken the mold on that [and] my three girls can drum better than most adults now.

While the artists hold differing opinions on how much modern techniques should be incorporated into traditional art forms, there is no doubt among them that their knowledge must be passed on to preserve the Cook Islands culture.