Titoki & Honey

KIA PIKI TE ORA!!!!

31ST OCTOBER 2014 - HEI MANAAKI (WK 11)  

TITOKI

Today we had a wonderful day with Papa Jo handing over the 'lesson' to Kylie to talk about Titoki.

A versatile tree  with the seeds that can pressed to release a high quality oil uses by watch makers in the old days.  The seed although not nice does provide a source of food.  The leave burning of smoldering are great as an insect repellent. 

This book was a wonderful source of much information about the Titoki and all other rongoa.

  

HONEY & BEES WAX

A huge thank my whanaunga Robbie Murray from Tai Tokerau Honey who was generous enough to koha some honey and bees wax for our roopu to make rongoa. We will have a practical session later this month at making balms using the wax - we are all looking forward to that.  We will be able to share some of our end product with Robbie as a gesture of appreciation for his koha, it also offers an opportunity to see an extension of other possibilities with his mahi.

 

KOROWAI

Kylie modelling her awesome contemporary Korowai that she made.  Feathers purchase from Trademe pre-sewn on long strips that she then sewed onto a fabric - the taneko pattern strip was also purchase pre-made.  She did a wonderful job at putting it all together.

Our tupuna were very innovative and adaptable people who would be proud of the clever initiatives such as this to create beautiful cultural taonga of today,  well done Kylie - ki runga noa atu koe!!

 

Other wonderful taonga that were shared today included a beautiful Pūtatara that was made as a thank you gift by some of the young males who Peter and Teresa work with at Ngawha.  Also Papa Joe and Whaea Viv recieved some lovely hand made taonga as a gesture of appreciation for their mahi with this roopu as well.

Maori legend tells that when Tane descended from the heavens carrying Te Kete O Te Wananga (the three baskets of knowledge) gifted from his father Rangi, he left behind a putatara as a koha (gift).

This and other legends indicate why this instrument forms an important cornerstone of Maori practises and spiritual beliefs. The 'voice' of a putatara can be blown over many miles signaling an enemies advance. When played by a tohunga (priest) however the instrument can produce a remarkable range of sounds, easily described as out  of this world.

(Ref: http://www.tahaa.co.nz/taonga-puoro-mainmenu-30/putatara-mainmenu-40.html)

 Pūtatara (carved)

 Free-hand drawings

Next week we have our first Te Rarawa conference hui at Te Oranga on Thursday 6th November.

We have also arranged to have a private viewing of The Deadlands, at Te Ahu Center - need to promote among our whanau to get 30 minimum attendees.
Should be awesome