New Zealand's national arts funding and development agency will launch the 'Maori Made Mark', a trade mark recognising the authenticity and quality of artworks created by the nation's indigenous Maori people, at the Auckland Art Gallery (Toi o Tamaki) on 8 February. Elizabeth Ellis, Chair of 'Te Waka Toi', Creative New Zealand’s Mäori arts board, calls the mark’s launch 'a landmark event for New Zealanders'. 'The Maori Made Mark is an exciting and reputation-building initiative for Mäori art,' she commented, 'It... recognises the value of Mäori art to New Zealand... [and] also means that New Zealanders and overseas visitors can be assured they are purchasing authentic, quality artworks.' Mäori artists have reportedly been lobbying for at least 20 years for a trade mark to help them retain ownership and control of their täonga – Mäori knowledge, imagery and designs; indeed, controlling the use of such cultural property is an issue for indigenous people worldwide. Creative New Zealand says its mark is the result of extensive consultation with Mäori artists and communities, and that the selected design was conceived by a group of senior Mäori artists, led by Dr Pakariki Harrison. It will be a registered trade mark, akin to the 'Woolmark', and Ellis anticipates that it will create a demand for authentic, quality artworks: 'enabling many of our artists to command a premium price for their work'. Te Waka Toi will be the mark’s 'kaitiaki' (or 'guardian') within Creative New Zealand, although the eventual goal is to transfer its administration to an autonomous Mäori entity. Artists licensed to use the mark will be able to do so free of charge for the first year, but a fee is expected to be levied to cover the costs of its management in future. Speaking to Mäori artists earlier this year, weaver Erenora Puketapu-Hetet said: 'The mark will help us in the marketplace. It will help us survive as artists and ensure our täonga from Aotearoa [New Zealand] are never lost.' Following some local criticism of the high cost of producing the mark, Creative New Zealand released a statement saying that the cost of its development was NZ$831,000 which included design costs (NZ$10,900), development of a licensing system for the mark, policy research, establishment of an administration system, marketing and promotion strategies, as well as Mäori consultation. Further information about Creative New Zealand and its programs is available online at: www.creativenz.govt.nz