Restoring precious birds to life

Wānanga leaders Raewyn Ormsby-Rihari (left) and Tiwai Rawiri preparing a kiwi for pelting.

A joint initiative between Māori weavers and the Department of Conservation Te Papa Atawhai has begun in Kerikeri to educate local hapu in pelting kiwi, so their feathers can be used for weaving.

DOC operations manager Rolien Elliot said kiwi remained a protected species even after death, so the department had accumulated many dead birds in its freezers.

"Rather than them just staying there, this project empowers local hapu to take care of these birds after death and to revive this traditional practice," she said.

The series of four manuhuruhuru (pelting) wānanga will be led by weavers Tiwai Rawiri (Ngāti Mau/Ngāti Torehina) and Raewyn Ormsby-Rihari (Ngāti Maniapoto), who is connected through marriage to Ngāti Torehina, the hapu involved in the pilot now under way.

Ms Elliot said those were the hapu in the areas where most of the kiwi had been killed, by dogs or cars, and, if the pilot was successful, more workshops would be organised around the region for other hapu.

Mrs Rawiri said she was interested in co-facilitating the wānanga because it offered a way of continuing a traditional Māori practice.

The first workshop, last weekend, saw 13 participants working with 15 kiwi and 15 kukupā (native wood pigeons), learning how to prepare and pelt them.

Further workshops will address the process of obtaining a permit from DOC to keep dead manu and how to weave with their feathers, which are used in making korowai (cloaks).

DOC cultural adviser Kipa Munro (Ngāti Rehia) opened the first workshop with a mihi that acknowledged the birds and their environment, and the privilege of bringing them "back to life."

He hoped that someone from each hapu would take on the responsibility of being a permit holder.

Mrs Ormsby-Rihari said the pelts were air-dried, as chemicals would affect the feathers, and "in this climate that only takes two to three days."

The aim was to retain the feathers in their natural order, weavers plucking them directly from the pelt rather than from a whole pile of feathers mixed together in a bag, making it easier to find what they needed.

Ms Elliot said DOC hoped the workshops would also contribute to wider community education about the need to protect kiwi, particularly by managing dogs, the greatest cause of kiwi deaths.

DOC biodiversity ranger Cinzia Vestena said that since 2013, the Kerikeri office had received about 100 kiwi and 17 kukupā from the wider Kerikeri area and Russell.

The kukupā had all died from flying into windows, whereas 37 of the kiwi were hit by cars, 31 killed by dogs, usually pet dogs, five were killed in possum traps and five in pools, ponds or cattle troughs.

Twenty-two had died of unknown causes.

Mrs Rawiri said that there was a possibility that workshops could also be held in the future for non-Māori participants.

"Although non-Māori won't become permit holders for native birds, there are non-Māori who collect feathers from non-native birds such as ducks and pheasants who would like to learn these skills for their weaving as well," she said.

She also noted that korowai made from native bird feathers could not be sold, because "we are the kaitiaki of the feathers, we don't own them."