Elder Kinswoman of the East Coast Tribalz

"Last Century Colonial Travellers and new residents took photographs of our Elders as part of a supposed 'Dying Race' and heavily romanticized Noble Savage Peoples soon to be swept aside by Europeanization.

This is an Elder Kinswoman of the East Coast Tribalz, although the non Nativez never recorded their True names or only part of their names, or a phonetic guess at the first name.

These photos defied the 'Maori Maiden' genre which perfectly reflected a propaganda of reclining Maiden, more often scantily clad on the ground 'pure and open' so to speak. Passive, vulnerable and defenceless was the preferred Heathen image especially where Nativez Women were concerned since the photos were to 'sell' our Home as a preferred tourist destination and new Home for would be Land speculators and the social milieu that this would encourage.

Our Elder is wearing Mako earrings, made of Sharks teeth they symbolize a Chiefly Woman's virtue of tenacity and determination. Her moko kauae ~ her chiselled chin markings are very simple lines depicting her lineage and her as a Tribalz Woman using Water symbols as bearer of the tides of Life.

The Two Huia feathers denote high ranking Women. Her ornately woven Korowai ~ the feather cloak was reserved to those of 'wealth and prestige' as such taonga (treasured heirlooms) took so very long to create and finish. The panel along the top of the Korowai ~ the feather Cloak symbolizes our Celestially corpus of knowledge. It often took years to complete a Korowai and one this ornate could only be acquired by those of Chiefly means.

Love the photograph because of the defiant and upright posture of the Kuia ~ Elder Kinswoman. It is very powerful for this complete composition which projects so much mana ~ Sacred Authority inwardly borne and radiantly exuding itself." - Mereana Taki