Post #252707 by Tamapoutini on Wed, Sep 6, 2006 4:10 PM

Thanx Benz. I will submit more tales (tall & otherwise) as they come to mind.

***I just want to put the word out to my fellow carvers not to be nervous of putting your Maori work out there; my distant ancestors may have 'Once been Warriors' but IM not here to eat anyone..!!:)

My father is English which has watered me down a fair bit & apart from dark hair, am the first generation in my family to NOT look like Tangata Whenua! My mother & her sisters have a fairly dark complexion, all stemming fom my G.Mother, G.GMother, etc. From there back, sure...

I was not bought up in contact with my 'roots' though have a family Marae & have met many of my relatives who live down the 'Kaik' in Dunedin. Although not particularly close, they are kept informed by my G.Mother & are very proud & supportive of me.

I have re-discovered my ancestry through personal investigation, but am in the same boat as many of you, feeling a bit of a 'fraud' myself sometimes.

I am thrilled to see the inspiration that the Maori culture has produced here & encourage all to carry on. As long as there is some integrity in what we do, why be ashamed?

Inspiration can come from anywhere & I too draw from cultures that I am not fully aquainted with. I also walk a pretty fine line with some of my contemporary work & half expect to be hassled about it at some point by REAL Maori (oh yeah, they are out there!)

So in summery: Go for it! Live the Dream! Climb your largest teko-teko & ride the sucker!haha

With all encouragement, Tama the Terrible :)