Gerard O'Regan
2025: Ka whakakotahitia e Tākuta Gerard O'Regan o Tūhura te tātaritanga o ngā raraunga rangahau whaipara ki ngā uiui ine kounga hei whakawhānui i tō tātou māramatanga ki te toi toka Māori me tōna pitomata rerehua, tuku iho, tāpoi hoki mō Aotearoa
Ahakoa ko te toi toka Māori tētahi o ngā momo whakaaturanga rerehua tawhito rawa i Aotearoa, he maha tonu ana mea huna. Kua whakawhiwhia a Gerard O’Regan (Ngāi Tahu) ki te Mana Tūānuku hei rangahau i te toi toka Māori i Aotearoa, e whakamahi ana i ngā raraunga rangahau whaipara hou, tawhito hoki, tae atu ki ngā uiui me ngā mana whenua (tae atu ki ngā ringatoi me ngā kaitiaki o ngā toi toka). Ko te whāinga he tūhura i te āhua o te panoni o tēnei tūmomo toi i roto i te wā, ahakoa te wā, ngā tāngata me ngā wāhi hoki. Ka wānanga tēnei kaupapa i ngā ōritetanga me ngā rerekētanga i waenga i te toi toka Māori me ērā o ētahi atu iwi o Poronīhia, e tino aro ana ki te āhua o te rerekē haere o ngā tikanga toi mai i te pānga tuatahi ki te Pākehā me te whakapākehātanga. Ka āwhina tēnei rangahau ki te tiaki i ngā wāhi toi toka tuku iho whaipara me te whakatairanga i te mōhio ki ngā rohe kei reira ngā toi toka. Otirā he tuku arawātea mō te whanaketanga o te ōhanga Māori me te tāpoi ahurea.
He tohunga whaipara, he mātanga ahurea tuku iho hoki a Tākuta Gerard O’Regan, ā, ko ia te kaitiaki tuatahi o te Ngāi Tahu Māori Rock Art Trust, te Kaiwhakahaere Taonga Tuku Iho tuatahi o Ngāi Tahu, ā, ko ia te Kairauhī Taonga Māori i Tūhura i tēnei wā (ko ia hoki te Pouhere Kaupapa Māori). Whai muri i te whiwhi i tōna tohu paetahi mō te Mātauranga Whaipara i Ōtākou me te tohu kairangi i Waipapa Taumata Rau, i uru a Gerard hei pūkenga rangahau i te James Henare Māori Research Centre me tētahi Pūkenga Rangahau Matua Hōnore i Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, ā, i whiwhi ia i ngā takuhe mai i te Endeavour Smart Idea me te Tahua a Marsden.
Dr Gerard O'Regan discussing sailing ship motifs of first contact with Ngāi Tahu rangatahi at Maerewhenua, Waitaki (photo supplied)