While I was outside with the children one morning, Paige was standing near the garden and pointed to the flax bush and asked what it was. I said to Paige that it is a harakeke plant, and it is using for weaving in the Maaori culture. To use an example, I went inside and showed her the weaved harakeke kete. We went back outside to look at the harakeke and I suggested that we cut some off and do some weaving. I explained the tikanga around harakeke and during that time Isabella came over and showed and interest as well. I said that normally we should say a karakia before cutting the harakeke but I didn't know of any, so I told the girls that I would find one for next time. I found this one:
Hutia te rito o te harakeke, Kei whea te kōmako e kō?
Kī mai ki ahau; He aha te mea nui o te Ao? Māku e kī atu, he tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata
If the heart of harakeke was removed, where will the bellbird sing? If I was asked, what was the most important thing in the world; I would be compelled to reply, It is people, it is people, it is people!
The other tikanga is cutting it down towards the roots and returning any left over harakeke back to the harakeke plant and Papatuanuku (Earth Mother).
After we cut some harakeke we explored what we could do with it. I showed the girls how to weave a flower (something I learnt through my teacher studies). Paige and Isabella were interested in the process of making one, which includes threading it under over under. This involves concentration, and practice. Paige enjoyed handling the harakeke and practicing moving the strips under over under. Isabella was watching me make mine before she started on hers. Although this is a hard thing to achieve first off, the great thing was that the girls took an interest and learnt some new things about harakeke.
Ainslee
