October 26, 2022
Waka builders share mātauranga
A Taitokerau tohunga whakairo carver says a just-completed waka represents hope for the future of an art under threat.
The 13-metre Manawa Kuaka, launched at Kawhia yesterday, was built by team of carvers from Wellington to the Far North and from Hawaii.
Te Wārihi Heteraka it’s a sign a new generation is stepping up to the challenge laid down by the late Sir Hekenukumai Busby.
“This stuff I think is the importance of practitioners leading our people back to understanding our matauranga tuku iho, that knowledge that can only be managed and led by the practitioners in the field,” he says.
Te Wārihi Heteraka says strict tikanga, specialist practices, and karakia involved in making waka need to be saved for future generations.