Edna Pahewa (born 1954)
is a
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...
weaver and was the head of weaving () at Te Rito, the weaving school of the
New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute, for 18 years. Her work is held in the permanent collection of
Te Papa
The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa is New Zealand's national museum and is located in Wellington. ''Te Papa Tongarewa'' translates literally to "container of treasures" or in full "container of treasured things and people that spring f ...
.
Biography
Pahewa began weaving as a child when she was taught by her Nanny Bub, the younger sister of
Rangitīaria Dennan.
Pahewa's mother,
Emily Schuster
Emily Rangitiaria Schuster (née Hicks, 12 January 1927 – 5 September 1997) was a New Zealand master weaver of Te Arawa descent.
Early life and family
Born in 1927 in Rotorua, Schuster was the niece of Rangitiaria Dennan, better known as Gu ...
, was a renowned weaver, as was her twin sister Dawn Smith, and both women influenced Pahewa. Pahewa was also taught by
Diggeress Te Kanawa.
Pahewa has taught weaving at Te Papa o Te Aroha and
Te Wananga o Aotearoa, both in
Tokoroa
Tokoroa ( mi, Te Kaokaoroa o Pātetere) is the fifth-largest town in the Waikato region of the North Island of New Zealand and largest settlement in the South Waikato District. Located 30 km southwest of Rotorua, close to the foot of the ...
.
Pahewa was the head of the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute's weaving school, Te Rito, located in
Rotorua that her mother Emily Schuster set-up in 1967. Both her mother and her sister Dawn have also held the head role of Te Tumu Raranga at the institute. After 18 years in the role Pahewa was succeeded by Meleta Bennett.
She is a member of
Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa, the national collective of weavers, and has previously served as the organisation's chairperson.
In 2005 while serving as chairperson, Pahewa helped establish the Kāhui Whiritoi group, membership of which formally acknowledges master weavers of New Zealand. She is currently serving as a committee member for the collective. Pahewa is also associated with
Toi Māori Aotearoa
Toi Māori Aotearoa (English: Māori Arts New Zealand) is a charitable trust that promotes Māori traditional arts and Māori artists, both in New Zealand and overseas.
Much of Toi Māori's funding comes indirectly from the government, through C ...
, a Māori arts charitable trust.
In 2020 Pahewa was to represent New Zealand at the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture in Hawai’i. However this festival has been postponed until June 2024.
Personal life
Pahewa affiliates with the iwi
Te Arawa
Te Arawa is a confederation of Māori iwi and hapu (tribes and sub-tribes) of New Zealand who trace their ancestry to the Arawa migration canoe (''waka'').[Ngāti Tūwharetoa
Ngāti Tūwharetoa is an iwi descended from Ngātoro-i-rangi, the priest who navigated the Arawa canoe to New Zealand. The Tūwharetoa region extends from Te Awa o te Atua ( Tarawera River) at Matatā across the central plateau of the North Is ...]
, and
Tuhourangi.
References
External links
Pahewa discussing weavingMuseum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 5 June 2012
Pahewa discussing weavingABS-CBN News channel, 29 July 2018
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pahewa, Edna
Living people
1954 births
New Zealand Māori weavers
Te Arawa people
Ngāti Tūwharetoa people
Women textile artists