Tui Tepania 

Ngāi Te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui 

Weaving Student 

23 August 2024

Along with two sisters, Tui was raised by her single mother. Tui saw her mother as a “strong warrior princess”, a woman who she admired and who moved her family a great distance to start anew in a settled environment. 

Tui grew up in Wainuiomata and attended mainstream schools there. She still resides there. She and her husband raised two beautiful daughters, who are loving and caring of their mother. Her husband passed in 2020 leaving her bereft. 

A few years following her husband’s passing Tui returned to weaving through Te Wānanga o Raukawa and the Heke Toi Whakarākai programme – Diploma in Design and Art (Weaving). It was something that she had aspired to do for some time.  It has brought her solace after such an immense loss in her life. 

Tui gave up work to focus on her studies as a weaver. Financially it has been a challenge, however she has been pushing through. She has found the pūkenga - tutors and her classmates to be inspiring. The visits to art galleries and Te Papa which are part of the programme, she found to be amazing. She loves the whānau feel in the classroom. The students are close, and she doesn’t feel like there is a hierarchy between the pūkenga and students. In her words, “We are all the same”.   

In the first semester Tui completed a maro and two kahu rākai. Only one kahu rākai was required for the assessment, but she pushed herself to finish a second, a great achievement and reflection of her commitment. 

Her grandmother was a weaver, and Tui has in her possession a few of her grandmother’s taniko pieces. Tui is thankful to have these taonga for her whānau. She is realising that she herself is pretty good at taniko and believes that this skill has come from her grandmother. 

Tui chose to study at Te Wānanga o Raukawa because she liked the inclusion of iwi and hapū and reo studies with the weaving programme. She feels that these give depth to her learning. The technology has been a struggle to grasp for Tui and she believes a half day of computer literacy would be helpful for students like her. She would also like to see less online lessons and more face-to-face engagement. She intends to continue with her studies. She hopes to complete the diploma at the end of this year and the bachelor’s degree in 2026, and then go on to postgraduate studies. 

Aitia te wahine i roto i te pā harakeke 
Marry the woman found in the flax plantation (because she is industrious) 

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