Master carvers who have dedicated their life to teaching the art of whakairo say the government's latest $7.6 million investment in the New Zealand Māori Arts and Crafts Institute will allow them to keep the art alive.
The Rotorua facility - which sits within the tourist attraction Te Puia - laid off 150 staff when lockdown began, and kaimahi say the new funding has literally saved the institute.
Te Aniwa Hurihanganui is in Rotorua and filed this report.
