Maryanne Pomare

I live on the Karikari Peninsular Northland NZ.

Ngapuhi / Ngati Pukenga

From childhood I was inspired by watching my nan weave floor mats and kete and dreamed one day I would become a weaver.

I weave Pake which is the term used in Te Tai Tokerau for rain cape.

Pake can also be used to cover and unveil a headstone or used as a wall hanging!

I weave pake from kuta pingao or kiekie harvested by traditional and cultural practises.

The resources I use are unigue to the rohe I reside in being an advantage

Kuta grows in lakes in Te Tai Tokerau being highly prized for weaving by the Maori people especially in the Far North.

The stems crunch when cut repeat and collect then a long swim back to shore but better if you have a dinghy.

It is hollow when dried and ready for weaving with a karakia (prayer)

They are words of the ancestors and the work of the people before harvest

The pingao is gathered from the sand dunes being one of the 2 sand binding plants in NZ

It is a taonga ( treasure) by Maori used for traditional weaving needing no colour enhancement.

Kiekie is found in forests in the North and South Island of NZ more common in higher rainfall areas

The leaves used widely for plaiting and weaving.

I am currently completing a pake that I have recently started!