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Te whiri-whā kōpiko

flax weaving

Ko tēnei momo whiri-whā, ko te whiri i ngā whenu e whā engari ka piko haere i te korenga o te katinga o te piko i te wā e whiri whā ana. Ko te hua o te whiri, ko te whakamahi hei tōrino, ko te whakamahi rānei hei mea pōkai ki te āhua o te koru. He rawe hei raurau, hei whakapīwari harakeke rānei. He pai ake te harakeke ngohe mō tēnei whiri whā, he mea pai i te wā e whiri ana ngā whiri paku. Me whāiti ngā whenu mō ngā whiri paku.

holding a flax leaf

Tīhorengia te rau harakeke kia whā ngā whenu rite, ki raro rawa ki ngā hononga. Ko te hononga te tātā o te koru. Inengia ki runga rawa o te harakeke nō te mea ki te pēnei, ka rite te whānui o ngā whenu i tōna roanga. Kutingia te hononga kia 20cm ki te 50cm pea, ki tāu e hiahia ana te roanga o te tātā.


splitting a flax leaf


Whakamahia te taha pūhoi o te naīhi kia hāpine i te taha raro (te taha waitau) o ia whenu he āhua nui ngā wā. Ka ngohengohe, ā, ka paku kōrino. Ka hāpine kia tango te takawai mai i ngā whenu kia kore e kaha pīngongo i te maroketanga.



a split flax leaf


Puritia te whenu kia aro te taha pīata ki a koe, ā, ko te wahanga o te hononga o te rau e iri ana ki te papa. Tikina te whenu kei te taha mauī o ngā whenu e whā, ā, whakawhitingia ki te whenu kei tōna taha katau engari ko te taha pīata kei runga.

scraping a flax leaf


Kātahi ka tikina te whenu kei waho, kei te taha katau, ā, whakawhitingia ki raro ki te whenu kei tōna taha, ki runga i te whenu o waenga me te mea nei, ko te taha pīata tonu kei runga. Tiakina ngā whenu kia noho tika me te mea nei, kaua e tuku kia whakawhitingia i tētahi atu whenu.



weaving a flax flower step 1


Puritia ngā whenu e rua o ia taha ki ia ringa, ā, kumea ki ia taha kia whā tekau mā rima te koki kia kikī ngā whenu ki raro.


weaving a flax flower step 1

Me pērā anō engari me whakarite kia whakaatu mai te taha pīata i ngā wā katoa. I te wā e pēnei ana, me whakaoti mā te kukume i ngā whenu huirua ki ia taha ki te koki whā tekau mā rima.


weaving a flax flower step 2


Ki te kukume i ngā whenu ki ia taha, panaia te harakeke mai i roto mā te mati kia pana te whiri ki waho atu kia koropikongia. Ka koropiko mai i te tīmatanga o te whiri tuatahi.


weaving a flax flower step 3


I a koe e whiri ana ka kōrino te whiri.



weaving a flax flower step 4



Ki te whāiti haere ngā whenu herea ngā pito mā te whakakoromiko o tētahi whenu ki ērā atu whenu, ka tuia ki roto anō o te koromiko me te kukume kia kikī. Ka pērā anō kia whita ngā whenu.



weaving a flax flower step 5

Kia whakamahi i te koru, pōkaingia te whiri ki a ia anō mai i te moka oti ki runga rawa. Pōkaingia te harakeke koromiko ki roto i a ia anō kia noho te moka tīpona ki waenganui. Takawiringia ki roto i te koru kia kikī rawa pēnā e hiahiatia ana.



weaving a flax flower step 6


Ka pōkai tonu kia tika rawa te whiri. Kia whita te koru kia kore e wete i te wā e maroke ana, tuia tētahi o ngā pito ki roto i te tātā o te koru, a, ka hoki ki waenganui.


There’s also an English version of these instructions.

Glossary

huirua - pairkatau - right (side)kikī - tight
kōrino - curlmauī - leftpīngongo - shrink
puhoi - bluntpōkai - wind (around)raurau - foliage
takawai - moisturetakawiri - twisttīpona - knot
tōrino - spiralwaitau - dullwete - unwind, unravel
whita - securewhakapīwari harakeke - flax jewellery

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.