Tana Pohe our new Wellbeing Navigator at our Project Toru presentation day.
Hutia te rito Hutia te rito o te harakeke Kei whea te ko(ri)mako e ko Ki mai ki ahau He aha te mea nui He aha te mea nui o te ao Maku e kii atu He tangata, he tangata, He tangata.
If you remove the heart Of the flax bush From where will the Bellbird sing? If you say to me What is the most important thing In this world I will reply to you It is people, it is people, It is all of us
Home Ground welcomed and embraced Tana Pohe, our new Wellbeing Navigator, when she joined us on Project Toru last month.
For Tana, the ongoing themes of Project Toru was identity and re-connection to self, healing through creativity and alleviating the weight of our collective trauma through meaningful connection and collaboration.
Tana says: "At the beginning of Week 3 of Project Toru it was suggested that we create a collaborative collage piece to include in our presentation day. Our women were still fine tuning their individual pieces so instead of embarking on a new project alone, I thought to bring in my sister, Selena, to help us weave a centre piece for our table, as Harakeke had been a central theme with our Project Toru anthem "Hūtia all we needed was time".
"Selena being the creative genius she is, did not see time as an issue, and came up with the brilliant idea that we all impart our mauri onto a piece of fabric or string which I could take along for her to weave into a Tāpeka (or wall hanging).
Wednesday afternoon came and Home Ground provided ribbons and an assortment of accessories to adorn them. The activity was introduced in great timing to break up the creative funk participants were feeling with individual pieces and was a great distraction tool to come back to their art with fresh eyes.
The women put charms to represent whānau and friends and lost loved ones and lovingly displayed their identities, and spent the remainder of the afternoon putting good vibes and energy in to our ‘Mauri ribbons’.
Anna was able to add ribbons from our online students and also from Roseanne, who was accessing the session remotely that day.
I took our collective mauri to my brother and sister's whare in Mangaroa valley, where Selena taught me of the amazing work our grandmother created and was recognised for.
This is my favourite, Pātikitiki (below):
We said our karakia and harvested the Harakeke from her garden and within 24 hours our collective idea was lovingly and expertly woven into our beautiful Tāpeka."
We feel grateful and honoured to have this special collaboration with Selena.
See more of Selena's work here.
Selena joined us for our maintenance day, a few weeks after Project Toru, for a workshop in harekake weaving and tradition.
Selena at our Home Ground workshop at the Pasifika Hub, Lower Hutt.
Thank you to Tana and Selena for our beautiful Home Ground tāpeka, and for making the magic energy that women contribute to Home Ground so visible! We know it will provide the same meaning and beauty to all the wāhine who will join us on Home Ground projects in the future.