Have you always wanted to learn how to weave a kono?
(a 4-cornered basket)
Haere mai ki te Te Kōawa Lodge in the Jericho Valley.
Join local tutors Jacqueline Stewart and Tāua Rangimaria Suddaby as they guide and support you in learning the traditional Māori practice of raranga / harakeke weaving. Te Anau Waitangi Charitable Trust is thrilled to again support Te Waiau Mahika Kai Trust, in holding the 2024 Matariki Weaving Wānanga (workshop).
Location: Te Kōawa Tūroa o Takitimu Lodge
Date / time: 5PM Friday 21 June to 3PM Sunday 23 June 2024
Cost: $50pp
Includes: 2 nights accommodation, kai & refreshments and more!
Experience: This wānanga is most suitable for beginner or intermediate weavers.
Age: This wānanga is aimed at adults, but rangatahi (age 13+) who want to learn raranga/weaving are welcome with a caregiver.
Ticket bookings: Te Waiau Mahika Kai Trust or direct at their booking service here
The tutors 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.
Cost
The cost to register for the weekend is $50 and there's limited spaces, so booking is essential.
Programme
Friday 21 June - arrivals welcome 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.
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.
Info for arriving late or leaving early
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.
What's included?
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.
How do I register?
Visit the Te Waiau Mahika Kai Trust website or go direct to their ticketing service here
Thanks to our sponsors and partners