Te Rā Ringa Raupā

te rā ringa raupā

rā woven by calloused hands

RITO WHĪRIA KIA ITA

Firmly binding together

Ko Wai Matou?

who are we, where are we from?

Te Rā Ringa Raupā, a weaving group from Aotearoa New Zealand, merges tradition and innovation in Māori craftsmanship, focusing on recreating the ancient Te Rā sail. Rooted in ancestral techniques, they honour Māori culture through intricate weaving styles using kōrari/harakeke and muka. While traditional, they blend contemporary elements, sharing their art through exhibitions and workshops for cross-cultural understanding. As cultural custodians, they pass on their knowledge, ensuring the continuity of Māori weaving heritage. Te Rā Ringa Raupā is a cultural institution fostering community and celebrating Māori identity and creativity through weaving.

Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Kahu, Ngāti Whātua, Te Roroa, Te Wai o Hua, Ngāti Ruānui, Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri & Tangata Tauiwi.

Te Rā and the Wero

Te Rā is a sail woven from kōrari/harakeke (New Zealand flax) likely over 200 years ago. Te Rā is the only known Māori woven sail of it’s era in existence.

A wero (challenge) was laid down by Te Rangihīroa in 1922, to recreate Te Rā and share this Mātauranga Māori with the people of Aotearoa.

Te Rā Ringa Raupā picked up this wero after meeting Te Rā for the first time in 2010 at the British Museum.

“Close-up photographs of the sail should be obtained from the British Museum and replicas plaited for our own museums. This could be done quite easily. Sails have been so long out of date that the possibility of obtaining such a copy of an authentic old-time sail should not be neglected”

(Hiroa, 1924, p. 361).

Te Rangihīroa- Sir Peter Buck