Over the past two years a small team of us, Ziandra Ashby, Hinerangi Himiona and Lara Robertson have been working toward developing some kaupapa to engage our whānau with our hapū, marae and whenua.  One of these kaupapa is the re-making of tukutuku panels for our whare at Parawhenua Marae.

With the support of marae trustees and many hapū members, late last year we were successful in obtaining fuding from Creative New Zealand to help us throughout this year to do this mahi and importantly learn and share and pass on the matauranga required to do this beautiful mahi.

Tūmatakāhuki is the name for the overall kaupapa to safeguard the mātauranga and pūkenga involved in learning the traditional creative practices to express our culture through mahi toi. Tūmatakāhuki is the sacred stitch used to form the foundation of tukutuku and represents the binding of the whanau and hapū together on our journey to revitalise and celebrate our identity. Throughout 2023 we will be holding wānanga at Parawhenua Marae, Te Ahuahu to, foster hapūtanga and whanaungatanga through learning and sharing and making 14 tukutuku panels at 4 whāriki. It is our expectation that some whānau will take those skills and knowledge into the future to be kaitiaki of these artforms at and for our marae and that this will inspire their own interests and practice in ngā toi Māori. These wānanga aim to provide that foundation.

Registrations closed March 2023.