KETE WHAKAIRO

The Maori are the indigenous race of Aotearoa, more commonly known around the world as New Zealand. Raranga is the plaiting technique used by the Maori. Where the leaves are made pliable from the harakeke, kiekie, pingao or kouka and are evenly stripped, then laid out diagonally during manufacture. The hands are included as an anchor while the fingers manipulate and plait the stripped fibers. A technique called ‘whiri’ was the more common practice of the Maori folk art raranga in producing a form of basketry. But to use the word ‘basketry’ to describe raranga is not entirely correct especially when explaining raranga to an international audience of interest, or even to our own nation. Raranga has been mistakenly confused with weaving. When weaving is in progress, the warps are worked vertically and the wefts horizontally. Raranga uses the plaiting technique, the warps and wefts are worked diagonally. The strips pointing to the right are known as dextrals. The strips pointing to the left are called sinistrals. True weaving uses a loom, but raranga like plaiting is manufactured entirely by hand, especially the fingers. The technique shown in this step by step instruction book is known as ‘Kete Whakairo’-meaning patterned bag, a decorative hand bag used more for ornamental than the ‘mahi kete’ which is used for work. Pre-European time, Raranga in its various forms of kete were used by the Maori to carry their food, belongings and treasures. Colonization introduced manufactured materials and readymade baskets, suitcases and trinket boxes, raranga or kete plaiting soon declined. As the Maori conformed to the new ways of Colonization and European lifestyle, many customs and articles made by the Maori were discarded or adapted to the using of modern synthetic materials. But the humble kete has continued to be useful. Te Rangihiroa, known in English as Sir Peter Buck, (1877-1951) anthropologist was the first to successfully translate and document the Maori terminology ‘raranga’ into English.. Even to be recognized abroad, internationally. Knowledge of raranga plaiting was once passed down from mother to daughter and those threads of knowledge were kept within family lineage and never exposed to those outside of their tribal areas. Skills and techniques of kete whakairo or raranga were definitely closely guarded in the past. But, in the twenty second century, woman with skill and expertise in raranga/plaiting cross tribal boundaries to share and pass on their traditional (and contemporary) techniques to whoever desires to learn the skills of plaiting with flax. Both men and women alike attend workshops around Aotearoa (New Zealand) working together to produce traditional and contemporary raranga. These exciting developments are taking place today as we share our knowledge and grow together, keeping our heritage alive and well. In today’s ever changing society we have tutors teaching traditional raranga while other tutors teach with more modern-day ideals. Their teaching raranga in a more modern world with modern ideals but still structured deep in the basic fundamental roots of raranga. I was privileged to have been taught raranga by both, tutors who taught strictly traditional and other tutors teaching a more contemporary style. This book is a step by step guide to plaiting a kete whakairo. There are many different methods and styles, regional or individual preferences but the end result is the same.