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BGI to play host to traditional cloak

Press Release

An open invitation has been issued to a special event hosted by Wellington’s oldest youth organisation, BGI.

BGI Director, Ross Davis, says he wants the community to have the opportunity to find out more about a sacred cloak at a free event on Monday 15 February, with doors opening from 4:15 pm and will conclude at 5:45 pm. The event is timed to coincide with the VIVID Street Art Festival that is jointly organised by Everybody Cool Lives Here, BGI, Inverlochy Art School and Wellington City Council. VIVID is celebrating artworks which are responsive to the city and its stories and BGI’s new artpiece is featured at VIVID.

Ross explains “You may have noticed the huge mural with striking triangular patterns on the south wall of the new BGI Centre at 3 Macdonald Crescent.

The mural is inspired by a 200 year old sacred Maori cloak, which belonged to a Maori women of considerable mana named Ruhia Porutu. Ross describes Ruhia to the BGI kids as a ‘princess’. The words on the mural say “Te kaitaka tapu; (the sacred cloak) te kaitiaki (the protector), te kaiwhakaora (the saviour)”.

Te Papa, who are responsible for the care of the cloak learnt about the BGI artwork. They are allowing a rare opportunity for the cloak to emerge from the archive and feature briefly at the BGI Centre at the event on Monday. The cloak is so valuable, it requires two Te Papa guardians with it at all times.

Ross developed the idea for the artwork as a result of a conversation with Ihaia Puketapu, carver of BGI’s impressive poutokomanawa. Ihaia told Ross about the connection between a Pakeha orphan from Scotland, the kaitaka (cloak), and the St John’s church site where BGI has its new Centre. Ihaia showed Ross a photo of the cloak draped over the coffin of that orphan, Thomas Mackenzie, as it was carried to Thomas’s funeral, held at St John’s church and passing by the site of the new BGI Centre . The how and why the cloak was on the coffin is a little known but amazing story about a positive relationship between Maori and Pakeha, which began in Wellington in 1840.

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As one of the only youth organisations in Wellington in the 19th century, BGI is interested in telling the story of Thomas and how he formed an enduring relationship with mana whenua out of a life and death incident involving the cloak when he was 13 years old.

Ross says “Monday’s event will share the story of Thomas Mackenzie and Ruhia Porutu and the significance of the cloak. Pertinent to the work of BGI today, that relationship formed in Thomas’s youth gave him strength, understanding and inspiration his whole life.

At the event we are fortunate to have Rangi Te Kanawa from Te Papa to share with us the making of the cloak and its importance. It is also an opportunity to meet the talented artists, Onyx Karati and Leon Hohepa, who were commissioned by BGI to do the artwork. “I see this event as a great opportunity for everybody to learn a little more about our city’s history, and the importance of culture and relationships. Of course, for those interested in art and street art in particular, there is the chance to learn more about this particular piece and then progress down the road to the opening of the VIVID street art festival at Thistle Hall.”

“This unique event is special to BGI, as the new Centre has yet to be officially opened. However, the opportunity to give the public a chance to view the cloak and connect with this particular aspect of Wellington’s history and how it is being honoured in the present was too good to pass up”, says Ross.

ENDS

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