Kei runga i tēnei whārangi
- Te kimi harakeke ki hea
- Ko tēhea te momo hei whakamahi
- Kawa Māori
- Te kōwhiri whā
- Te tapahi harakeke
- Kia hia ngā whā hei tapahi
- Te putunga harakeke
- Te porowhiu maramara harakeke
- Kupu Taka
Te kimi harakeke ki hea
Matomato ana te tipu o te harakeke ki te nuinga o ngā wāhi ki roto o Aotearoa. Ki te kimi harakeke ki te raranga, me tīmata ki te tiro ki tō ake māra, ki ngā māra rānei o ō hoa, ka whakapā atu rānei ki tō kaunihera, ki te kaiwhakarite Māori, ki te iwi rānei kia whakaae mai ki te kohi harakeke ki ngā wāhi o te marea.
Kupu taka
matomato – plentiful
kaiwhakarite Māori – Māori representative
kaunihera – council
marea – public
Ko tēhea te momo hei whakamahi
There are two species of native New Zealand flax: Phormium tenax and Phormium cookianum.
E rua rawa ngā harakeke taketake ki Aotearoa —
ko te Phormium tenax me te Phormium cookianum.
Phormium tenax: Harakeke
Ko te tino harakeke mō te raranga ko te Phormium tenax, ko te harakeke rānei, he harakeke nō ngā whenua tāpotupotu, nō ngā repo rānei. He taiea ki te Phormium cookianum nō ōna puawai whero, nō ngā kōpaki kākano e matotoru ana, e torotika ana me te mea nei ko ngā whā, ko ngā putiputi me ngā kōpaki kākano e toro whakarunga ana. Kei te nui ngā momo harakeke, e rerekē katoa ana ngā kounga o ngā whā – ka poto, ka roa rānei ngā whā, ā, ka nui te muka (whītau), kāre rānei e nui ana te muka(whītau), ā, ko te rerekētanga te take ka whakarite ngā momo harakeke kia whakamahi mō ngā mahi raranga rerekē.
He pārongo anō e pā ana ki ngā momo harakeke raranga, ko ngā tipu harakeke me a rātou whakamahinga he mea tiki atu i te whārangi o Manaaki Whenua, arā Te Kohinga Harakeke o Aotearoa — National New Zealand Flax Collection me ngā whakamārama mō ngā tūmomo kei roto hoki i te puka “Harakeke; The Rene Orchiston Collection” he konae PDF mai i te pae tukutuku o Manaaki Whenua.
Kupu taka
tāpotupotu – low-lying
repo – swamp
taiea – distinguished
kōpaki – pod(seed)
whā – leaf (of flax)
matotoru – thick
torotika – straight / upright
kounga – quality
muka/whītau – fibre (flax)
pārongo – information
Phormium cookianum: Wharariki
Ko te Phormium cookianum, ko te wharariki rānei, he harakeke nō ngā taha tai, nō ngā maunga rānei, ā, kāre e whakamahia ana ki te raranga. He ngohe ake ngā whā e tautau ana, e tautau whakawaho ana, me te mea nei, e whāiti ake i ngā whā o ngā Phormium tenax. Ko te kōwhai, ko te karaka rānei ngā putiputi e tohu whakarunga ana engari he whāiti, he whakawiri ngā kōpaki kākano e tautau ana whakawaho.
Kupu taka
ngohe – soft
tautau – hanging down / droop
whāiti – narrow
whakawiri – twisted
takawhīwhiwhi – intricate
tīhore – split / crack
Ngā Harakeke Karakara
Kei te nui ngā momo harakeke karakara e whānui nei ngā tae mai i te pūwhero ki te kowhai, ki ngā kārikitea hoki. Ko te nuinga o ngā momo, he iraira, ā, e whānui ana ngā tae ki roto i ngā whā.
Kāre i kaha whakamahi ngā harakeke karakara ki roto i te mahi raranga engari, e pai ana mō ngā mahi iti pēnei i te putiputi, ā, e taea ana te tāpiri atu hei tīpako ki tētahi atu mahi raranga.
Ka māwhe ngā tae i te wā e maroke ana, engari ko ngā tino whero me ngā kōwhai, ka horotea. He tino pai ēnei harakeke ki roto pūtoi putiputi raranga engari ki roto i ngā mahi maota.
Kupu taka
karakara – coloured
pūwhero – deep red
kārikitea – soft green
iraira – variegated
whānui – wide
tīpako – highlight
māwhe – fade
horotea – muted
pūtoi – bunch
maota – fresh
Kawa Māori
Ko te raranga harakeke he taonga tuku iho nā te Māori te iwi taketake o Aotearoa. Hei tā te Māori, he kawa, he tikanga ranei ōna e pā ana ki te tiki me te raranga i te harakeke. Kāre e taea e au te tohutohu tikanga te take, kare ōku toto Māori engari ki oku nei whakaaro, he mea nui te tauwhiro i ngā tikanga.
Ka paku rereke tēnei kawa ki ngā wāhi rereke o tēnei whenua engari koinei ōku nā māramatanga o ngā kawa, o ngā tikanga e mōhio whanuitia:-
I mua i te kohi, i te tiki ranei i te harakeke, e tika ana te tuku karakia whakamoemiti.
I te wā o te tapahi harakeke, ka waiho te tipu o waenga i ngā whā, te rito ranei, kāre i tapahi, kāre hoki i tapahi i ngā whā o waho atu o te rito, ko ngā awhi rito, kei ia taha (tirohia ngā tohutohu me ngā whakaahua kei raro rawa o te wharangi nei).Ka tapahi whakararo ngā wha o waho atu e tata ana ki te putake. (Ka pēnei kia noho hauora te pū harakeke, ā, tipu haere kia taea te tapahi anō. Kāre i tapahi harakeke i te pō, kāre hoki i tapahi i te marangai, i te hukapapa hoki, ā, ka tapahi i ngā whā e rawaka ana kia tutuki i tō kaupapa raranga.
E ai ki ngā tikanga kāre i tapahi harakeke i te wā e ikura ana ngā wāhine, engari ki taku mōhio, e rereke haere ana ngā whakaaro i ēnei wā – kāre e tino whai ana i tēnei tikanga e te katoa. Kāre i takahi ngā harakeke kua tapahi, ā, kāre e taea te kai me te inu ki te wāhi raranga. Ka horoi ringaringa i muri mai o te raranga, ā , i mua tonu o te kai. (Ki te kore, ka tino mōhio pēnā he iti noa iho nei te wai harakeke ki o ringaringa, ka mate tikotiko koe.) Ka mutu te raranga, kāre i tahu ngā maramara harakeke, ka whakahoki kē ki te whenua ki reira pirau ai. I ngā rā o mua, ka whakahoki kē ki raro i te pū harakeke i tapahi ai ngā harakeke engari i ēnei rangi, kaua ki te pū engari ki tētahi atu wahi kei matemate haere te harakeke. Ko ngā mahi raranga kua tīmata, me oti rawa, ā, ko ngā mea tuatahi i raranga, ka tākoha atu ki tētahi atu.
Kupu taka
ikura – menstruate
kawa – protocol
pirau – rot
rawaka – enough
taketake – indigenous
tākoha – to gift
tauwhiro – respect
toto – blood
whā – flax leaf
Te kōwhiri whā
He āhua uaua te kōwhiri i te momo Phormium tenax e hiahiatia ana te tapahi, ā, ko te mōhio ki tōna painga, e tika ana ka kōwhiringia koe i ngā tūmomo āhuatanga e hiahia ana mō tō mahi raranga.
Ko ngā rau ngohe, ko ngā rau whāiti he mea poto hei whenu raranga ki tōna 50 mitarau te roa, he mea pai mō ngā mea paku. Me whakamahi i ngā rau kaha, i ngā rau roa ake mō ngā mahi nui engari me ngohe tonu ngā rau ki te raranga.
Pēnā ka tīmata tō mahi raranga ki te whiri muka mā te tāpiri takitahi mā te whiri i ngā muka rānei, me roa ake te muka. Ki te tiro ki te roa o te muka i roto i te whā, me whakamahi i ngā mahi i te whārangi Te Whakarite Harakeke.
Ko te whakamutunga, tirohia ngā whā kia kore e kainga e te kīrearea i tētahi mate rānei i a koe e tapahi ana.
Kupu taka
kōwhiri – choose
ngohe – soft
kīrearea – pest
Te tapahi harakeke
Ko ngā rau kei te harakeke, ka tipu ki roto whewhera wehewehe e whera ana i te tipu o waenga. Ka waiho te tipu o waenga me ngā whā kei ia taha kia pai te tipu. Tapahia ngā whā kei ia taha o ngā tipu e toru o waenganui engari tapahia whakararo atu i te harakeke e tata ana ki te pūtake. Ki te pēnei, kāre e taea te wai te rere ki waenganui kia whakapirau i te harakeke.
Ki te tapahi rau mō tō mahi raranga, herea ngā harakeke ki whakapū, kia wehewehe ngā whā o ia pū. Pēnā e taea ana, me whakamahi ngā whā o te harakeke kotahi mō te mahi raranga. I mua i tō wehenga, tapahia ngā whā maroke, ngā whā matemate kia pai te tipu o ngā whā, kia noho hauora hoki te harakeke.
Kupu taka
whewhera – fan out
wehewehe – separate
whera – fan
pūtake – base
whakapirau – to rot
whakapū – bundle
tapa – edge
Kia hia ngā whā hei tapahi
Kia mōhio koe kia hia katoa ngā whā hei tapahi mō tō mahi raranga, me whakarite te whānui o ngā whenu me te rahi o te mahi e raranga ana koe. He pai ake ngā mahi paku pēnā e whāiti ana ngā whenu, ki te haurua o te mitarau ki te mitarau rānei, ā, ko ngā mea nui, ka whānui ake ngā whenu kia kotahi me te hāwhe mitarau, te whānui.
Ko te mahi e whai ake nā, ko te whakarite te nui o ngā whenu ka hua mai i to harakeke me te whakarite hoki te nui o ngā whā hei tapahi mā te whakawehe i ngā whenu ka hua mai i te whā kotahi, ki ngā whenu e hiahiatia ana kia oti i a koe te mahi me te tāpiri whā anō kia rawaka mō tō mahi.
Kupu taka
Mitarau – centimetre
rawaka – enough (for good measure)
Te putunga o te harakeke kua tapahi
E taea ana te raranga i te harakeke i muri tata mai o te tapahi, ka pupuri rānei mō te rua ki te toru wiki i mua i te raranga, ka paera rānei kia roa mai te putunga. He pai ake te raranga i te wā kāre e tino mākū, kāre hoki e tino maroke. Pēnā ka tino mākū, ka pīngongo i muri mai o te raranga, ā, ka ango ngā whenu. I ētahi wā, ka hiahia kia ango mai ngā whenu engari i te nuinga o ngā wā, ka hiahia kia mangungu te raranga, kia pai te āhua. Pēnā ka maroke rawa te harakeke, ka uaua ki te raranga, whaihoki ka matiti.
I te wā o te raumati, ka ruarua noa iho ngā rā hei pupuri harakeke tae rawa ake kua maroke rawa ki te raranga. I te wā o te takurua ka pupuri te harakeke mō ngā wiki maha i muri o te tapahi nō te nui o te mākū ki roto i te harakeke, ki te taiao hoki.
Ka pupuri ngā harakeke kāre anō kia paerangia mā te whakatū ki tētahi wāhi kōtao, ki tētahi pākete wai pēnā ka hiahiatia mō ngā rangi ruarua nei, takaia ki te tāporena kia whakapoturi i te maroketanga.
Kupu taka
putunga – storage
paera – boil
mākū – wet
maroke – dry
pīngongo – shrink
ango – gaping open
mangungu – close weaving
whaihoki – likely
matiti – split / crack
kōtao – cool
pākete – bucket
tāporena – tarpaulin
whakapoturi – slow down
Te porowhiu maramara harakeke
I te mutunga o te raranga ka whakahokia ngā maramara ki te whenua hei wairākau. Tapahia kia pakupaku noa iho ngā maramara nō te mea ka roa te whakawairākau, ā, he pai te waiho i ngā maramara kia kaua e whakatata ki te moua. E ai ki ngā tikanga, ka whakahoki ngā maramara ki te whenua ki te taha o te pū i tapahi ai ngā harakeke. I ēnei wā nei, ka whakawairākau ngā maramara i tētahi atu wāhi kia kore e pā mai i te ngārara, i te mate rānei.
Kupu taka
porowhiu – dispose of
maramara – pieces / bits
wairākau – compost
moua – mower
waihoki – likewise
Waihoki, ka pupuri i ngā take kia whakamahia i ngā mahi ka whakaaturia ki roto i taku pukapuka Fun and Functional Flax Weaving.
My thanks go to the translator of this page, Wi Pohatu, Ngai Tāmanuhiri / Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairarapa, Weaver, Member of Raranga Whatu ki Kahungunu (Napier) and Te Muriwai Weavers (Muriwai, Gisborne), presently Principal of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Ara Hou (Napier).
Any mistakes are ones I’ve made in transcribing the translation into HTML.
© Ali Brown 2021