Ohakune weaver to travel overseas

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 2, Issue 4, 26 June 1984, Page 8

Ohakune weaver to travel overseas

Lisa Mareikura, 18, of Ohakune is looking forward to her overseas trip later this year which will take her to Hawaii and America. It will be the first time she has been overseas. Lisa was chosen to accoiftpany a 40-50 strong Maori art and cultural group on a 2'/2 week tour which will take in Honolulu, New Y ork and Albuquerque in New Mexico demonstrating Maoritanga, entertainment, weaving and carving. The group will be made up of 20 performers, six weavers and carvers and another 20 or so elderly people. Lisa was one of the six in the weaving/ carving group to be selected from throughotxt New Zealand. She was chosen for her weaving skills and is the only one from the Wanganui area. She will be demonstrating these skills — which she first learned as a PEP worker during a visit to Wellington in 1982 — to various groups including Hawaiians, Mexicans and North American Indians. In return they hope to learn something of these other cultures in an exchange of crafts and skills. But the main purpose of the group's visit to America is to provide support for a major exhibition of Maori arts and crafts which is to take place in New York in mid-September. The group leave on 15 September and will be based in New York until their return on 21 September. While in New York they hope to meet up with the Patea Cultural Group whose record 'Poi-E' has reached the world 's charts and who will be on their way through to perform in London. Lisa will be demonstrating the art of flax weaving including baskets, mats, piupius and kono (plates).