Edna Pahewa (born 1954) is a

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

weaver and was the head of weaving () at Te Rito, the weaving school of the

New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute The New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute (NZMACI) is an indigenous traditional art school located in Rotorua, New Zealand. It operates the national schools of three major Māori art forms. NZMACI opened in 1963 as a successor school ...

, 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. Usually known as Te Papa (Māori language, Māori for 'Waka huia, the treasure box'), it opened in 1998 after the merging of the Nation ...

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, was a renowned weaver, as was Pahewa's twin sister Dawn Smith, and both women influenced Pahewa. Pahewa was also taught by

Diggeress Te Kanawa Diggeress Rangituatahi Te Kanawa (9 March 1920 – 30 July 2009) was a New Zealand Māori people, Māori tohunga raranga (master weaver) of Ngāti Maniapoto and Ngāti Kinohaku descent. At the time of her death she was regarded as New Zealand's ...

. Pahewa has taught weaving at Te Papa o Te Aroha and Te Wananga o Aotearoa, both in

Tokoroa Tokoroa is the fourth-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 and 20 km south of Putāruru, close to the foot of th ...

. Pahewa was the head of the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute's weaving school, Te Rito, located in

Rotorua Rotorua () is a city in the Bay of Plenty region of New Zealand's North Island. It is sited on the southern shores of Lake Rotorua, from which it takes its name. It is the seat of the Rotorua Lakes District, a territorial authorities of New Zea ...

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 Te Roopu Raranga Whatu o Aotearoa or Māori Weavers New Zealand is the New Zealand national Māori weavers' collective, which aims to foster and preserve Māori traditional textiles. It has played an important role in facilitating the gathering ...

, 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 people, Māori iwi and hapū (tribes and sub-tribes) of New Zealand who trace their ancestry to the ''Arawa (canoe), Arawa'' migration canoe (''waka''). The tribes are based in the Rotorua and Bay of Plent ...

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 ...

, and Tuhourangi.

References

External links

Pahewa discussing weaving
Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, 5 June 2012
Pahewa discussing weaving
ABS-CBN News channel, 29 July 2018 {{DEFAULTSORT:Pahewa, Edna Living people 1954 births New Zealand Māori weavers New Zealand weavers Te Arawa people Tuhourangi people Ngāti Tūwharetoa people New Zealand women textile artists