Kūmara Tāpapa with Kelly Francis, Whenua Warrior

Learn how to grow kūmara from tipu, and how to save kūmara for seed. Hear about the the ways Māori grew kūmara in colder climates and how observing the environment was imperative to the survival of Māori on arrival to Aotearoa. 

Part 1

Decolonising time, reflections on Maramataka
How time can be told through environmental observations and understanding of our modern roles.

Part 2

Learn how to build traditional Tāpapa (kūmara seed bed).
Head outside to help set up Tāpapa beds. Learn the ways ancestors would pick where in the country kūmara would be planted, and how trees would indicate the timing of each of the plantings.

All attendees will receive a kūmara growing mini kit for home (valued at $20), with everything you need to grow tipu from one kūmara.

- Optional extra: pre-order a bundle of five kūmara tipu/shoots (to collect from EcoMatters in spring) to grow or share with your whānau and friends.

Supported by the Whau Climate Action Network*. 

*The first 15 residents in the Whau Local Board area to register can use the discount code "WHAU" to receive $10 off their ticket price. The Whau Local Board area includes New Lynn, Green Bay, Kelston, Rosebank, Avondale, New Windsor and Blockhouse Bay. Click here to find your local board. Please bring proof of address to the workshop. 

ABOUT      
Tutor: Kelly Francis - Kaiwhakahaere, Whenua Warrior

Kelly Francis, founder of Whenua Warrior, is on a mission to feed, teach & empower communities via māra kai. Kelly has taught Indigenous Knowledge through community spaces since 2017. Her scope includes Maramataka, Matariki, Hua Parakore and traditional techniques used for indigenous food.  

After completing a large project in South Auckland where she built 1,000+ gardens in homes, she is now starting a Kumara Collective to continue the empowerment of gardeners in the ways Māori plant and tend to kai tuku iho.