Pupils sustain traditional Maori art

The traditional Maori art form of tukutuku is being kept alive at South End School in Carterton.

Tukutuku are intricately weaved wall panels and each classroom created one to go outside their classroom door.

The panels were blessed and unveiled to the school community on Friday as part of a special Matariki celebration.

It can be a time-consuming process and the project required two children on either side weaving raffia through a wooden panel in a particular pattern.

Tukutuku were traditionally made of dried stalks of kakaho, the flower stalks of toetoe grass, and kakaka, long straight fern stalks.

Tina Rahui, the kaiawhina who co-ordinated the project, said it was similar to cross stitch and took students a whole term to create.

"It's quite an important day for us."

She said the panels have significance in that they tell a story, chosen by the children and will be a part of the school's history.

"Most marae will have Tukutuku panels."

She said each panel has a different weaving pattern and were named by the children.

For example, the Whanaungatanga (kinship) panel tells a story about Kupe and missing family.

"The children felt they related to the story."

Principal Alastair Kay said lots of people were involved like school staff and parents but it was driven primarily by the students.

He said the celebration started with the unveiling of the panels and then a day of special activities including ki-o-rahi.

The school was doing well, he said, with the roll up and a new classroom being built.

"We've made a lot of strides forward as a school and this is another example of that."