Dayle Takitimu at home in Gisborne
There has been a changing of the guard at EIT Tairāwhiti’s iconic school of Māori Visual Arts, Toihoukura, with the appointment of high-profile lawyer Dayle Takitimu as its Kaitiaki (Head of School).
Best known as an environmental and indigenous rights lawyer, Dayle is looking forward to getting a new perspective on the indigenous voice through the arts.
“I have worked my entire career with the politics of recognition and Toihoukura is a beacon for that in the visual art space,” she said.
“The presence of the indigenous voice feeds my indigenous soul.”
Dayle Takitimu is East Coast born and bred, having close affiliations with Te Whānau a Apanui and Ngāti Porou.
More recently she was based in Auckland before returning to Gisborne for the role of Kaiarataki Ako at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa’s Whirikoka campus in Gisborne. She and her partner Michelle had been keen to come to this region.
“We want to raise our children with their own land and whakapapa connections. They are getting bigger and it’s important that they identify with what they are, not just on a piece of paper but that they know and grow with it.”
The children, aged 8, 6 and 3, can now be involved with all their cousins.
Before starting the new role, she took a month’s breather with family having worked constantly since she was 17.
“I am ready to roll up my sleeves now and get into it,” she says.
“The staff here in Toihoukura are a solid crew and I am looking forward to being part of it.”
Dayle had long been keen to be involved in the educational sector because it helped empower people and has always been a strong supporter of indigneous arts.
Before her break she was part of a team doing an external review of Toihoukura. That three-month study had given her a good view of where the challenges and opportunities lie. She is looking forward to implementing some of those opportunities.
Dayle’s background in law and working in large organisations gave her a good understanding of the processes involved.
“What really captured me was EIT’s expression of their desire to grow Toihoukura from the solid foundations that have already been built.”