Ko Whetumatarau te Maunga
Ko Awatere te Awa
Ko Hinerupe te Marae
Ko Te Whānau a Tuwhakairiora me Te Whānau a Hinerupe ngā Hapū
Ko Ngati Porou te Iwi
Ko Horouta te Waka
Tihei Mauri Ora
Ko Bronwyn Ngatai-Hawtin ahau. Born and raised on my whenua taurikura o Matakaoa, at the foot of my Maunga Whetumatarau. Lucky to be immersed in Te Ao Maori.He tamaiti ako I te Kohanga Reo, tamaiti ako I te Kura Kaupapa Māori.
I grew up exposed to raranga, learning by the hands of my Kōkā from a young age, many of the Taonga I weave today come from the very same Pā Harakeke that my Kōkā guided me to harvest and the same Pā harakeke that first introduced me to the love of Raranga.
As an adolescent we moved from Te Araroa to Devonport, Auckland and a new lifestyle was introduced to me. I no longer had my Marae down the road, my Maunga behind me or my Pā harakeke at my fingertips. Life has given me many teachings and numerous paths, but ultimately I believe we are guided back to who we are meant to be.
After many years of this art form sitting silently inside me, unused and forgotten, a significant event in my life reignited the flame and once again I found myself captivated by Te whare pora, by Raranga.
Today I weave from a place of healing, each whenu demanding my patience and attention. Weaving the complexities of grief and mamae out of myself releasing hurt to create something beautiful.
Ka ao te po!
Weaving from a place of passion, each whenu carefully handled, showcased for its individual beauty, the uniqueness of this natural fibre giving life and individuality to each piece.
Weaving from a place of reclamation. Reclaiming taonga motuhake, reclaiming taonga tuku iho, reclaiming my authentic self and reclaiming the wāhine who is because of her tipuna. Nōku te honore, te ataahua hoki o tēnei tino taonga, nā Te Whare Pora
