Uenuku will launch a rangatahi carving programme in Raetihi as part of a government-funded commission to erect a carved pou in National Park township.
The 3m-high Waka Mutunga will be erected at the old sawmill site at National Park next to the railway station building. This property, to be purchased as part of our Treaty settlement, is currently leased by Ruapehu District Council for a Park and Ride facility.
Designed by the project’s master carver Kura Wanikau, the carving will stand as a welcome from tangata whenua to manuhiri, wishing them a good day in our rohe. The pou will be carved from Waimarino tōtara in a new workshop set up in Ward St, Raetihi.
Up to six rangatahi aged 18 years or older will have the opportunity to experience carving two mornings a week in a free two-month programme from 20 November to 20 December, and 14 January to 14 February. They will learn about the whakapapa and tikanga associated with carving, design, tool preparation, moulding, flat chiselling, pattern work, staining and mounting, and will also collaborate on a storyboard for the Waka Mutunga.
Enrolment forms are available from the Uenuku office, or click the link below to print a copy. The carving programme is being funded by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.
To enrol in the 2019 Waka Mutunga Carving Experience Programme, please download and complete the enrolment form below. Return the completed form to:
Uenuku
28 Queen St
PO Box 102
Raetihi 4632
or scan and email to enquiries@uenuku.iwi.nz
Carving programme Rangatahi enrolment form (1)
