VIDEO - Weaving their way into history
A mission to revitalise a famous Māori war waka, Te Toki a Tapiri, recently toured several Far North town libraries as a weaving workshop series called Tui Tui Tuia.
A mission to revitalise a famous Māori war waka, Te Toki a Tapiri, recently toured the Far North as a weaving workshop series called Tui Tui Tuia.
A significant taonga, the waka tauā (Māori war waka) has been in the collection at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum since 1885 and needs fresh cord, woven from muka flax materials, that form an integral part of its structure.
Medina Koni, an expert in raranga (weaving) from Ngāpuhi Nui Tonu, shared her knowledge and skills at the Tui Tui Tuia workshop series which used council-run libraries in Kaitāia, Kaikohe, Kerikeri and Kawakawa to involve locals in this important kaupapa.
Te Toki a Tapiri is a symbol of cultural identity and represents the histories of some of the most significant times in Aotearoa. It has connections to five iwi - Ngāti Kahungunu (hapū Ngāti Matawhāiti), Rongowhakaata, Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Te Ata, and Ngāti Whātua - who are the kaitiaki for this waka and are connected through whakapapa.
The authentic muka cord produced during the workshops will replace the bindings and lashings when restoration of the waka takes place in May 2024 at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum.
Watch the video to see this unique weaving technique in action.