Skip Content

A new book dedicated to the memory of master carver and
Te Wānanga o Aotearoa foundation kaiako Paakariki Harrison is being launched to coincide with the organisations 30th anniversary celebrations.

Dr Harrison was widely regarded as a leading tohunga of the whakairo art form, says Pouwhenua Whakairo Kereti Rautangata.

“He was a repository and sage of immense traditional whakairo knowledge. 

By his own words and deeds he inspired, empowered and instilled in tauira, a confidence to take command over their own work.”

Kereti says the book ‘Toi Awe, Toi Iro, Toi Hanga, Toi Hua’ captures the experiences of whakairo tauira and their kaiako.

There are also two DVDs which feature tauira and kaiako at work and insights fromwhakairo experts.

In 1983 Dr Harrison directed and masterminded with his 35-person team the carving of Ōtāwhao wharenui at Te Awamutu.

Born in Ruatoria and the eldest of 21 children, he was raised by his grandmotherMateroa Reedy and attended Hiruhārama Native School.

While at Te Aute College, he was introduced to carving by master carver Pine Taiapa who became a lifelong influence.

Dr Harrison passed away in 2008.


 Back to news & events

Published On: 24 April 2015

Article By: Alice Te Puni



Other Articles

  • 20 May 2025

    Marae-Based Research: A Vehicle for Reclamation

    Explore Kimiora Raerino’s inspiring journey from urban Māori upbringing to PhD researcher and Senior Research Fellow at Te Manawahoukura. Discover how marae-based research and māra kai became powerful tools for reconnection, cultural identity, and community wellbeing.

  • 14 May 2025

    A full circle moment from tauira to kaiako

    Explore the inspiring journey of Krystle Nikora, from tauira to kaiako at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. Discover how her passion for te reo Māori blossomed and led her to teach He Pī ka Rere Level 3 and 4.

  • 8 May 2025

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa introduces four new study opportunities in their Semester B offerings

    Te Wānanga o Aotearoa introduces four new study programmes for Semester B, including Māori Governance, Digital Media and Design, Building and Construction Skills, and Study and Employment Skills. Designed to meet the needs of tauira, whānau, hapū, and iwi, these programmes integrate mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori perspectives. Enrol now to grow your skills and achieve your aspirations.

  • 30 April 2025

    Mākereti Papakura, the first Indigenous woman to study at Oxford, to be awarded a posthumous degree

    The School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography at the University of Oxford has announced that pioneering Māori scholar, Mākereti Papakura, will receive a posthumous degree more than 100 years after she began her studies.