Toi Wānanga welcomes weavers

A series of Toi Wānanga allowed participants to learn and hone traditional skills such as raranga, tukutuku, and tāniko, as well as view a special exhibition of korowai and kākahu.

The workshops and exhibition took place at Katere ki te Moana Marae over three months from last October to February 2023 with around 80 people coming along to practise and build confidence in new-found skills. Classes were led by local artist and weaver Mako Jones, a friend of Tawhirikura Hapū, who shared her mātauranga, creating a supportive and welcoming atmosphere for participants.

“It was wonderful to see so many people come along to help keep our traditional weaving skills alive,” says Ngamata Skipper. “We had grandparents bringing their mokopuna, families coming to learn together and several men joining in too.”

“There were some more modern materials for tamariki to have a go [on] while the adults learned the traditional methods of each skill set.”

As well as the different weaving disciplines, there was also an opportunity to learn how to pelt a bird. This is the technique of removing the skin with the feathers still attached, so they can be kept ready for use on a cloak or other item of raranga. “By doing this, you can preserve how the feathers lie in relation to each other so they sit in the right way on your garment,” explains Ngamata.

To complete the Toi Wānanga, an exhibition showcasing the items made was held, which included the opportunity to get up close to traditional korowai and kakahū.

Kaitiaki Miria Pomare was the guest speaker, and she gave the whakapapa of the items and their relevance to Taranaki. This opportunity was not lost on the many weavers who attended.

A third element to proceedings was the presence of photographer Tania Niwa (Grand Master), who is helping to build a digital archive of Hapū activities to document its history for future generations.

“It was a very successful series of events, and we are grateful to Creative NZ for the funding to make it possible,” says Ngamata. “We will certainly be looking to provide wānanga in the future. We get so busy that we don’t take time out to play or be creative. Hanging out with whānau and building on our relationships with one another is key to whānau ora, hapū ora, and whenua ora.”

Toi wānanga images supplied by Tania Niwa.