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Mana wāhine: Cath Brown QSO
Nā Cath Brown kā muka tinitini i here i tōna oraka, kikī ana i ratoka me te paetae. Mā āna mahi toi hei tohuka raraka, i puta tōna aweka hei kaiako.
Ko ia tētahi o kā Kaitohutohu Toi me kā Mahi ā-Rehe Māori rokonui i whakatairaka i te whakaako toi tuku iho a te Māori i roto i kā kura; ko ia hoki tētahi kaiwhakaako toi i te kāreti whakakūkū kaiako. I whakaako i te raraka i kā awheawhe puta noa i te whenua. Ko ia te whakaihuwaka mō te hākinakina, ā, i meika anō hoki a ia hei kaiwhakaako, hei kaikōwhiri, mō te tīma poitarawhiti o Waitaha.
I taua wā tonu, i rukuhia kā take Ngāi Tahu e ia ki te tautoko me te ārahi i tōna hapori, kāika, rūnaka hoki.
Pērā i te pātiki me tōna tohu tikaka, e kaha kitea ai hei waitohu he taimana te āhua i āna mahi toi, i whakatauira te oraka o Cath i tēnei mea te manaakitaka.
Image: Catherine Elizabeth Brown, QSO (1933-2004) (Ngāi Te Ruahikihiki, Ngāti Moki, Waitaha, Ngāti Māmoe, Ngāi Tahu). Courtesy of Liz Brown.
Cath Brown brought together many strands in her life of service and achievement. Through her artistic accomplishments, particularly as a tohuka raraka, an expert weaver, came her influence as a teacher. She was one of the famed Māori Arts and Crafts Advisers who boosted the teaching of Māori customary arts in schools; she was also an art educator at Christchurch Teachers Training College. She taught weaving at workshops up and down the country. A keen sportswoman, she also served the Canterbury netball community as a coach and selector. At the same time she became deeply involved with Ngāi Tahu affairs and in the support and leadership of her home community and rūnaka. Like the symbolic pātiki (flounder), whose diamond-shaped motif often features in Cath’s art, her life was the essence of manaakitaka – of care and generosity.
Image: Cath Brown QSO, weaving, c1960.
Courtesy of Liz Brown.
Kei te whakaaturia
On display
Cath Brown's jewellery box and a selection of her jewellery. On loan from Liz Brown. Photographed by Michelle Sim.
Cath’s niece Liz Brown has memories of playing with her aunt’s jewellery box as a child – “Cath was known for her style and her fingers were always bejewelled. She was not shy of large items that had impact!”
Image: Cath Brown's musical jewellery box. On loan from Liz Brown. Photographed by Michelle Sim
Image: Brooch made in the shape of a fish, with feather, paua and fibre components. It was owned and worn by Cath Brown, who may possibly also have made it. On loan from Liz Brown. Photographed by Madeleine Finch.
Image: Brooch owned and worn by Cath Brown. On loan from Liz Brown. Photographed by Madeleine Finch.