Kia ora te reo Māori! We’ve got a sweet selection of goodies to celebrate Te Wiki o te reo Māori this week. Today, we’ve picked out this beautiful Harakeke print by Mrs Pants.
Harekeke is a common plant found in New Zealand, but many of the special forms that were cultivated by Māori for weaving were almost lost during the twentieth century. Luckily, a few collections of special flaxes were maintained over the years, and have sparked a revival in flax weaving over the last 20 years. Harekeke is also used in soaps, hand creams, shampoos, flaxseed oil and a range of other cosmetics.
Find out more about harakeke and the tikanga associated with it. (Courtesy of Christchurch City Libraries.)
Hutia te rito
o te harakeke
Kei whea, te kāmako e kō?
Kī mai ki ahau
He aha te mea nui
o tēnei ao
Māku e kī atu
He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.
When the heart is torn
from the flax bush
where will the Bell bird sing?
You ask me
what is the greatest thing
on Earth
My reply is
it is people people people.
