Te Ao ō te Māori: a window into the rich lifestyles of contemporary māori

Te Ao ō te Māori: a window into the rich lifestyles of contemporary māori
Photographs and words nā Phil Tumataroa

Kitty Brown can recall when she made the conscious decision to work for her people.

“I was working at Otago University doing events, and I was reconnecting with my whakapapa and my hapū when I realised there’s a community and a collective that resonates much more deeply with me here. And since I made that commitment to work on behalf of Kāi Tahu and my iwi, I have been lucky enough to actually do that.”

It started in 2015 with helping te whānau o Te Tai o Ārai te Uru host Hui-ā-Iwi and then in 2019 that commitment turned into a role with rūnaka-owned organisation Aukaha working with the Mana Ahurea team, tasked with embedding mana whenua stories and values in development projects across the Otago region.

Her love of working with people also led to opportunities to work alongside Paemanu Kāi Tahu Contemporary Arts Trust. “I always wanted to work with Paemanu. I always held that in my heart, and in the last couple of years, they’ve needed someone like me to come in and facilitate wānaka, hīkoi and exhibitions. And that’s magic – I love working with them.”

Born and raised in Kaiapoi, Kitty’s Kāi Tahu and Ngāti Kahungunu whakapapa is through her mother Aroha Ivy. Her grandmother is Ivy Aroha Karaitiana from Tuahiwi and her great grandmother, Olive Oriwia Karaitiana (Fowler) from Ōtākou/Awarua.

“Culturally I feel connected to this place, to the south and to my whānau here. That connection is based in the whenua and the landscapes, so the ability to work within our cultural settings is a massive bonus for me.”

Working behind the scenes Kitty has been instrumental in helping mana whenua embed cultural designs in the Dunedin built landscape through projects like Ōtepoti – the ACC building which incorporates a narrative written by Dr. Megan Pōtiki and designs by Kirsten Parkinson, drawing inspiration from the woven pattern of a traditional poti basket, and also serving to renew the placename of Ōtepoti in the city.

There’s the Tohu Whenua Series, 10 heritage and cultural markers along the Otago Harbour foreshore, recent largescale installations by Xoe Hall and Steve Solomon at the city’s airport, and cultural narratives woven into Otago Boys’ High School Performing Arts Centre, Ōtākou Whakaihuwaka – Otago University, and the new Dunedin hospital to name just a few.

Kitty admits she likes to have a few pots on the boil at any one time and has co-published a series of books for tamariki called Reo Pēpi and is co-director of the Dunedin Writers and Readers Festival, that’s when she’s not busy at home cooking, crafting or making time for her kids.

“Keeping it all cooking is the constant mahi,” says Kitty who lives with her partner Dan, on a Portobello hillside property with their two children Tama and Kuini amongst
sprawling māra kai and fruit trees.