Ngaa ahuatanga marire mo te koiora - The Elementals essential for life

In 2010 two experienced weavers, Ruth Port (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri) and Mandy Sunlight (Tangata Tauiwi), along with Ruth’s daughter Nane’ McLean (videographer), travelled to London to visit the British Museum. They had originally gained permission to spend three days studying taonga Meaning Close Treasure, anything prized Maori one of which, Te Rā, had to make a specific application in order to be granted a viewing.  

The seeds for the weavers’ research had been sown twelve years previously when Maureen Lander (Ngapuhi), an artist, weaver, and academic, first saw Te Rā in London in 1998 when she visited the Māori exhibition in the British Museum.  As a senior lecturer in Māori Material Culture at Auckland University, Maureen later returned to document the sail hoping to revive some of the knowledge it embodied as a research project for students in her courses. She soon realised that it would take a team of experienced kairaranga Meaning Close Weaver  to take on such a task.  

When an invitation from the British Museum to Maureen was received in 2009, Maureen offered the opportunity to Mandy, Ruth and Rouati Waata, Mandy’s daughter who was also a talented weaver. As Rouati was unable to travel at the time, Nane’ accompanied Ruth and Mandy to document the journey. A Tahitian sailor, Tahiari’i Pariente accompanied the weavers on the day they were able to view Te Rā which was fortuitous, as the weavers gained valuable insights from Tahi’s voyaging perspective relating to the sail’s design features. 

Te Rā illustrates the significance of both raranga Meaning Close Weaving  and voyaging to Māori culture, and makes connections with Polynesian histories, skills and knowledge.  Te Rā highlights the desire to explore new horizons and the extraordinary skills required to adapt to life in a new world.  

Te Rā is also an important and tangible expression of what makes Aotearoa special, reflecting Māori adaptations to a different environment and way of living following their migration across the Pacific.  

Aotearoa’s natural forests and huge trees led to the development of a range of single hull waka and the constantly changing winds led to smaller more manoeuvrable sails, particularly in coastal sailing. Some sails were made from raupō Meaning Close Bulrush - Typha orientalis  but the finer sails like Te Rā were woven from harakeke Meaning Close Flax plant, native to Aotearoa New Zealand
Scientific name: Phormium tenax  an indigenous plant that underpinned the survival of Māori in Aotearoa in numerous ways. Te Rā is a woven spirit sail and is thought to have been used mostly for coastal sailing, as depicted in early drawings of waka by explorers to Aotearoa.  

The re-creation of sails similar to Te Rā is important for the reclamation and preservation of mātauranga Meaning Close Māori knowledge Māori. The intricately made sail, measuring 4.5 metres tall and 2 metres across at its widest point, is exquisite and embodies much mana Meaning Close Prestige, authority, importance, power . Tufts of notched kukupa/kererū Meaning Close Wood pigeon and kāhu Meaning Close Hawk  feathers adorn the top.  Kirikuri Meaning Close Dog-skin and small red  huruhuru kākā Meaning Close Parrot feathers  grace the loops that attach the sail to its spars. The matairangi Meaning Close Pennant  is completely adorned with notched kukupa feathers on three sides, the fourth side being attached to the sail.  

Te Rā is made of thirteen woven papa Meaning Close Panels .  A complex three-way puareare Meaning Close Pattern of woven holes extends throughout the papa Meaning Close Panels , including through the complex hono Meaning Close Joins , which is something not seen today within Māori weaving. From the different weaving tensions it was evident to the weavers that Te Rā was woven by a group rather than by a single weaver and they found it incredible and somewhat poignant that they could connect through touch not only with Te Rā herself, but also with the DNA of weavers’ fingers from many generations ago.  

“ Taonga Meaning Close Treasure, anything prized , the carriers, the messengers of many other layers of meaning and existence. The nature of things beyond their actual appearance.” (2.)

Upon the return of Mandy, Ruth and Rouati from their second trip to the British Museum in 2019, where the group specifically documented Te Rā through photographs, moving images, diagrams, drawings, tauira (small woven flax samplers) and measurements, they set to work to recreate the ancient sail.  

Each of the three weavers had been assigned specialist roles by Maureen Lander - Rouati the raranga Meaning Close Weaving , Mandy the muka Meaning Close Fibre extracted from harakeke (flax leaves)

Also known as: whiitau / whītau  work, and Ruth the feathers. At Pā te Aroha marae, the group expanded to include Makareta Jahnke, Kerrin Taylor and Maikara Ropata and together they took on the name Te Rā Ringa Raupā (the calloused hands making Te Rā).  

The preparation to upskill in order to begin their first sail took much more time than anticipated. During January 2000 Ruth and Mandy commenced their first sail, Hine Marama, and it took Te Rā Ringa Raupā (TRRR) eighteen months to complete her. 

The weavers learned so much from creating their first rā Meaning Close The sun both what to do and what not to do. The work was incredibly fine, and the team had to “learn the hard way” about the importance of grading the harakeke to eliminate imperfections.  

In preparation for the raranga Meaning Close Weaving , each leaf was sized at 12 millimetre strips, softened and boiled and then dried to preserve the prepared strips for when they were required. After re-hydrating with water, the kōrari Meaning Close Phormium tenax leaf and/or its flower  strips were ready to use. They were whatu Meaning Close Hand twisted single weave-weft /twined together and then further divided into four 2-3 millimetre wide strips. Because of the preserving method Te Rā Ringa Raupā  could harvest more in the summer months when the weather was better for harvesting and then simply re-hydrate as required.  

In mid 2021, at the blessing and naming of their completed smaller sail, Hine Marama, the first of the prepared whenu Meaning Close Hand twisted single strand lengthwise or warp  for weaving the full-sized rā Meaning Close The sun , Māhere Tū ki te Rangi, were also blessed. 

All the weaving of Māhere Tū ki te Rangi was done in the whare Meaning Close Building, house , Tū te Whiritoi at Pa Te Aroha Marae and most of Hine Marama was as well. The first winter of weaving Hine Marama took place in Makareta’s converted cow shed as Tū te Whiritoi was unheated and very cold. The team remedied the cold the next year by asking the marae committee for heaters which were supplied and thereafter they remained in Tū te Whiritoi while they completed their challenge. 

The majority of the harakeke Meaning Close Flax plant, native to Aotearoa New Zealand
Scientific name: Phormium tenax used for the weaving was harvested from pā harakeke at Pā te Aroha Marae in Whirinaki, Hokianga but some was gathered from Pehiaweri Marae Meaning Close Open area in front of the main meeting house in Whangārei where it had also been planted as a readily available resource for weaving.  

The main variety used for the raranga Meaning Close Weaving  was ‘taeore’ because the leaves are long, strong and very pliable, while the muka Meaning Close Fibre extracted from harakeke (flax leaves)

Also known as: whiitau / whītau  came from ‘kohunga’ which was used for the cordage because of its high yield as well as its strength and superior length which meant the weavers didn’t need to add in as often.  

While the weavers already knew how to make two ply aho Meaning Close Weft  for stitching, the cordage is 6 ply rope and much thicker. For this they received expert assistance from Dante Bonica, a retired lecturer in Māori Material Culture at Auckland University, who taught them the complex technique of how to miro Meaning Close Twine  6 strands together by rolling them in sequence on the leg.  

Obtaining some of the other resources required to recreate the full-sized sail was challenging. While Te Rā Ringa Raupā had easy access to good harakeke Meaning Close Flax plant, native to Aotearoa New Zealand
Scientific name: Phormium tenax , they weren’t so easily able to source more than sixteen hundred kukupa Meaning Close Wood pigeon , kāhu Meaning Close Hawk and kākā Meaning Close Native bush parrot feathers, as well as some small dog-skin strips.  

Luckily for the weavers, through the Department of Conservation, plus various individuals and groups around the country, the feathers were gifted. The dog-skin was sourced through a personal friend who loved his dog so much that he cured the skin and was thrilled to have a small part of his beloved dog live on in another form, attached to the muka Meaning Close Fibre extracted from harakeke (flax leaves)

Also known as: whiitau / whītau binding on the takaore Meaning Close A loop at the corner of a sail to which a line is attached. Referred to as 'cringles' in sailing. along with small red kaka Meaning Close Native bush parrot feathers. 

One cannot overlook the significance of the use of muka Meaning Close Fibre extracted from harakeke (flax leaves)

Also known as: whiitau / whītau  on Te Rā. For our tūpuna Meaning Close Ancestors

Also: Tūpuna, Tīpuna this fibre had extraordinary properties. " Muka Meaning Close Fibre extracted from harakeke (flax leaves)

Also known as: whiitau / whītau was seen not only as a concrete way to represent wairua Meaning Close Spirit  or life force, but also powerfully symbolic of the unseen- the spiritual element that, to Māori, permeates all aspects of life” (3.) 

Alicia Courtney, an expert in feathers and commonly known as “Feather Girl”, was able to completely revolutionise Te Rā Ringa Raupā’s approach to the feather notching required on most of the manu huruhuru (bird feathers) attached to their rā.  

This was one example of unlocking more knowledge and insights between the first experience of making the smaller practice sail, Hine Marama, and then learning new skills while working on Māhere Tū ki te Rangi.  

Te Rā Ringa Raupā was under pressure to complete Māhere Tū ki te Rangi by December 14 2022. This date was significant as the hundred-year anniversary of when Te Rangihīroa first presented his wero Meaning Close Challenge  in a paper addressed to members of the New Zealand Institute. 

 “Close-up photographs of the sail should be obtained from the British Museum and replicas plaited for our own museums. This could be done quite easily. Sails have been so long out of date that the possibility of obtaining such a copy of an authentic old-time sail should not be neglected.” This paper was eventually published in 1924 in the Transactions of the NZ Institute. (4.) 

Te Rā Ringa Raupā had benefitted from the community support at Pa te Aroha Marae and the Whirinaki community. They decided to invite the community to a dawn ceremony on December 10th, 2022 to bless and name the newly completed full sized rā Meaning Close Customary stories , Māhere Tū ki te Rā, followed by a celebratory hakari Meaning Close Feast in the wharekai Meaning Close Dining hall . The community responded and turned up in great numbers to this auspicious occasion which was indeed a day of joy, accomplishment and celebration. 

A few days later on December 14th 2022, exactly 100 years to the day that Te Ranghīroa first laid down the challenge of replicating Te Rā, an exhibition of four sails, Māhere Tū ki te Rangi and Hine Marama, along with a prototype cloth sail, Piritia, and a raupo Meaning Close Bulrush - Typha orientalis  sail made by Mandy was officially opened at Hihiaua Māori Cultural Centre in Whangārei.  

This opening celebration was attended by great numbers of people eager to support the huge contribution Te Rā Ringa Raupā had made to the recovery of long-lost sail-making knowledge through their dedicated response to Te Wero o Te Rangihīroa. 

Since the very first visit to the British Museum in 2010 the weavers were eager to see the return of Te Rā to her true homeland, Aotearoa Meaning Close New Zealand . They saw her as a kuia Meaning Close Female ancestor and had identified with her pouri Meaning Close Sadness and mokemoke Meaning Close Loneliness  at being so far away from her place of origin.  

When the news of Te Rā’s return was announced in 2022, Te Rā Ringa Raupā were euphoric even though the loan period at that time was only for one year (since extended). The ancient taonga Meaning Close Treasure, anything prized was coming home.  

Te Rā’s first arrival place in Aotearoa Meaning Close New Zealand was Ōtautahi Meaning Close Christchurch  in June 2023 and the grand opening of Te Rā: The Māori Sail attended by the masses took place on July 8th, 2023. She was exhibited beautifully at the Christchurch Art Gallery, Te Puna o Waiwhetū. Many, many weavers flocked to meet and spend time with Te Rā and were inspired by such an exquisite taonga Meaning Close Treasure, anything prized from over two centuries ago. She was on display for three months in Ōtautahi Meaning Close Christchurch before being transported north to Tāmaki Paenga Hira. Meaning Close Auckland Museum

Back in Auckland, members of Te Rā Ringa Raupā were very involved in preparing for the exhibition Navigating Home at Tāmaki Paenga Hira Meaning Close Auckland Museum featuring Te Rā herself displayed near the newly created rā Meaning Close The sun , Māhere Tū ki te Rangi.  

While Māhere Tū ki te Rangi was in the Māori court vertically opposite Te Rā, Hine Marama was a central feature of TRRR’s own exhibition Te Karanga o Te Rā Meaning Close The Call of Te Rā  in the community gallery space just around the corner. This exhibition documented their journey to recreate a full-sized version of Te Rā and included photographs, moving image and in some cases a step-by-step breakdown of the making of special features of Te Rā, all of which were extremely complex.  

“There are no words to express how much it meant to have Te Rā back in her true homeland, it was a time for rejoicing. Already Te Rā has managed to extend her one year stay to three years. Our wish is that she remains in the land that birthed her, where she is acknowledged and able to exert her highest impact and influence.”  

The initial vision back in 2010 was to recreate the ancient taonga Meaning Close Treasure, anything prized , Te Rā, and following the second visit in 2019, this vision was intensified and directly activated upon on the return of the rōpu Meaning Close Group or organisation to Aotearoa. Meaning Close New Zealand  The journey has included many community-based events such as travelling exhibitions, wānanga, Meaning Close A gathering for instruction or tuition  presentations, celebrations of milestone achievements and residencies. 

For the past two years Te Rā Ringa Raupā have been teaching and sharing the knowledge they have recovered and actively passing these newly unlocked skills on to three different weaving groups from around the motu Meaning Close Country . Already, as a result of their sharing there are six rā Meaning Close The sun being woven and the hope is that when those sails are seen on waka Meaning Close Canoe out on the water, the sight will inspire others to learn the skills to weave rā Meaning Close The sun for their own waka Meaning Close Canoe . 

The purpose of a sail is to respond to the wind and one of the driving forces behind the second stage of Te Rā Ringa Raupā’s project was to experience how Māhere Tū ki te Rangi would respond when rigged to a waka, sailing.  June 2nd, 2024 was the memorable day when Māhere Tū ki te Rangi was first trialled on the Hokianga Harbour. Watching as Māhere Tū ki te Rangi captured Tawhirimātea, our God of Wind, enabling the waka Meaning Close Canoe to glide effortlessly across the surface of his brother, Tangaroa Meaning Close God of all bodies of water truly was a magnificent sight! Another example of harmoniously harnessing the elements as our tupuna Meaning Close Ancestors

Also: Tūpuna, Tīpuna did.