Reclaiming Identity and Mana: The Resilience of Ariki Brightwell
- Phoenix Manley-Green
- Aug 8
- 2 min read
The importance of respect and accuracy in storytelling has been brought to the forefront following a recent incident involving local Māori artist Taupuruariki (Ariki) Whakataka Brightwell.
After being misgendered in a news article published by Kāpiti News on August 1st, Brightwell is speaking out about the personal impact of the error and her commitment to moving forward with her art and community.
For Brightwell, the oversight was not just a simple mistake; it was an act that struck at the core of her identity. "Unfortunately the coverage of the local story has come up with an error that basically not only affects my identity, but my mana as an artist, a mana wahine in that field".
The public nature of the misgendering magnified the hurt, forcing her to confront the error directly. "Being mispronounced as tāne on the local newspaper and shared across the local communities I essentially felt violated and the mamae was very huge to the point where I decided to take action to correct that wrong".
Despite this painful experience, Brightwell remains focused on the positive impact of her work, particularly her recent collaboration at Paraparaumu School.
The school community, led by Kaiako Hayley Tanga, has been steadfast in its support of the artist. Reflecting on the mural project, Tanga noted, "From the moment Ariki came in she was really respectful, she did lots of research, lots of talking with the tamariki and with the staff to find out about our local rohe".
The connection Brightwell formed with the students has been profound. Tanga emphasized the lasting influence of this engagement, stating, "I think for some of the tamariki she’s given them a lifelong love of art, she really has, she’s just captured them".
Looking to the future, Tanga added, "We absolutely support Ariki in her journey and in her journey as an artist, we’ve enjoyed every single moment working with her and we hope that our paths will cross again and that she’ll work with our tamariki to create more beautiful artworks".
As for Brightwell, her focus is on the healing power of her craft and her enduring relationship with her community.
She views her path forward as deeply connected to her heritage. "I will continue to create what I create and work with the communities I’ve always worked with, doing this is also healing, as Māori it’s healing, it connects us back to our tūpuna, it connects us back to our whānau".
Comments