This school holidays, our Māori Services team bring you activities for tamariki.
Today: Ngā Whāinga – Challenges - WHAKAIRO.
Whakairo means “to carve or to ornament with a pattern” (Te Aka). Whakairo is the term for the art of carving, which produces carvings as seen in whare whakairo – carved meeting houses on Marae; jewellery such as hei tiki and taonga puoro – musical instruments as seen in Te Papa.
Whakairo in Whare are normally representations of tūpuna – ancestors and can be either men or women. However there are some whakairo that represent kaitiaki – guardians. Fayne Robinson is a senior Kāi Tahu carver who has contributed work to the Christchurch rebuild, which can be seen in Tūranga, the Justice Precinct and as light boxes around the central business district. You can also check out Christchurch City Libraries interview with local carver, the late George Edwards.
Hei mahi – things to do:
- Discover what tools were traditionally used for whakairo – use online resources to help
- Design / draw your own carving you might find in a Whare Whakairo – check online for some ideas
- Discover the names of parts of a carved meeting house – use online resources to help
- What is the origin of carving? Read this story and draw / design a poupou / carve posts based on the story
This school holidays, our Māori Services team bring you activities for tamariki.
Ngā Whāinga – Challenges
Monday 30 March: MANU-TUKUTUKU
Maatakiwi
Māori Services
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