Te Waiau Mahika Kai Trust, in partnership with Te Anau Waitangi Day Charitable Trust, are holding a Matariki Weaving Wānanga (workshop) at Te Kōawa Tūroa o Takitimu Lodge on the 21st to 23rd June 2024.

Have you always wanted to learn how to weave a kono (4 cornered basket)? Haere mai ki te Te Kōawa Lodge in the Jericho Valley and join local tutors Jacqueline Stewart and Tāua Rangimaria Suddaby as they guide and support you to learn the traditional Māori practice of raranga / harakeke weaving.

We will teach all aspects of raranga including tīkanga, how to harvest harakeke and care for a Pā harakeke, and how to weave, including relevant te reo Māori words.

Over the weekend you will prepare and weave three separate kono, each one getting larger and more difficult depending on how confident you are feeling. For those of you wanting an extra challenge, you can learn different styles of completing your kono so they have either a maunga (mountain or zig-zag), wharenga (curling wave or straight-edge) style or a traditional lock off that is needed for larger kete. If time permits, we can also learn a 4-plait whiri used for handles.

This wānanga is most suitable for beginner or intermediate weavers.

The Wānanga includes:

Two nights at Te Kōawa Lodge
Kai and refreshments for the weekend
A Matariki celebration evening, and the opportunity to learn more about Matariki
Te reo kūpū associated with Matariki and raranga
A chance to learn more about our Te Kōawa Tūroa o Takitimu Mahinga Kai Restoration project and explore this Mahinga Kai Cultural Park under the Takitimu Maunga.

Cost for the weekend is $50. Limited spaces so booking is essential.

Participants who are able to attend for the entire wānanga programme will benefit the most from this kaupapa. If you need to arrive late or leave early, please let us know. If people need to arrive Saturday morning we can accommodate this.

This wānanga is aimed at adults, but rangatahi (age 13+) who want to learn raranga/weaving are welcome with a caregiver.

Programme

Friday 21 June

Participants are welcome to arrive from 4.30pm.

6pm Mihi whakatau (welcome)

Introductions, whakawhanaungatanga

7pm Potluck dinner

8pm Tīkanga around raranga/harakeke weaving

Prepare whenu (harakeke strips) for weaving a kono the next day

Saturday 22 June

8am - breakfast

9am - 4pm Raranga (weaving) Wānanga, including:

Tīkanga (traditions, protocols) of raranga
How to identify, harvest and prepare harakeke for weaving, in accordance with traditional Māori practices
How to care for a Pā Harakeke (flax plantation)
Weaving a kono (four cornered basket), and whetū (stars) to celebrate Matariki
Basic Te Reo around weaving, a karakia and a waiata

Saturday evening

We will celebrate Matariki with a kōrero about Matariki and its importance, some purākau (stories) about the Takitimu Maunga, and enjoy a celebratory Matariki dinner.

Sunday 23 June

8:00am - breakfast

9:00am - 3:00pm

More raranga/weaving using skills from the first day.
Te Waiau Mahika Kai Trust will give a presentation about the Te Kōawa Mahinga Kai Restoration Project.

Accommodation

The accommodation is in bunk rooms, and participants need to bring their own bedding/sleeping bag. For more details on the Lodge please see Te Waiau Mahika Kai Trust website. If you have any specific accommodation requirements please let us know.

Participants will be expected to help with dishes/tidying up after meals, and with cleaning of the lodge at the end of the Wānanga.

What to bring

Please bring the following to the Wānanga:

Some home baking for morning or afternoon tea
Craft knife (named) (we do have some tools available for participants)
Small chopping board
Flax knife if you have one (for harvesting harakeke)
Gardening gloves, outdoor shoes or gumboots - for tidying up the Pā Harakeke
Slippers or indoor shoes
Some kai to share for a potluck dinner on Friday night
Sleeping bag or duvet, pillow case, and bottom sheet to cover the mattress in the bunkroom (there are pillows at the lodge).
Hottie (optional)

Tamariki

The wānanga is for people aged 13 years and older. Rangatahi aged 13+ are welcome to attend with a caregiver.

Thanks to our sponsors and partners