Planting the Seed

Teacher Glennis Hahn opens the story with a guiding thought from Māori design: “Every creation starts with an idea, a hope, a dream.” Glennis held onto this dream until the right student came along. When Caitlin began working with her as a Year 11 student on Level 2 standards for Materials and Processing Technology (MPT), Glennis knew she had found the right person to bring the dream to life.

Imagine 

A Dream of Honour and Leadership

Glennis had long envisioned a special project for the school, one that would embody the principles of hōnore (honour), hautūtanga (leadership), and tuakiri (identity). Her dream was to design a kahu huruhuru, a feathered cloak, to be worn by the school’s leader. In February, Glennis discovered Whaea Nan’s work, and Caitlin reached out to Nan, asking if she would act as an expert external stakeholder to guide them in tikanga so that the dream for the kahu huruhuru could become a reality.

Note: If you are wanting to learn more about kahu huruhuru, you may want to start with:

• Te Ara, an online encyclopaedia –  teara.govt.nz/en/maori-weaving-and-tukutuku-te-raranga-me-te-whatu/page-2

• Exploring the work of mātanga Māori working in this space, such as Rangimarie Hetet and Diggeress Te Kanawa

• tepuia.com – Exploring the work of groups such as The NZ Māori Arts and Crafts Institute in Rotorua

Connecting Across Spaces

Nan agreed to support the project, and she and Caitlin connected over Facebook Messenger. Their first hui lasted about an hour, during which they discussed what it meant to be a Pākehā working in a Māori space. Caitlin was unsure whether or not to commit to the project. Nan encouraged her to think deeply about the kaupapa. She asked Caitlin about the capabilities of every Māori student in her MPT class, but there weren’t any Māori students. 

Nan recalls: “I think our conversations gave her the confidence to move forward, knowing that what she wanted to do came from a place of heart and integrity. I had the ability to believe in her. She was moving with mana. It wasn’t about becoming a superstar but about making something beautiful for the principal, Anna Swann, who is Māori. So we started this journey together.”

Read

Research and Development

Caitlin undertook extensive research to ensure the kahu huruhuru reflected the values of the school and Māori design tikanga. She consulted the school’s crest and uniform colours, Auckland/Waitakere’s local landmarks (Maunga and Awa), and considered elements that could represent the students’ time at school. Her design incorporated feedback from stakeholders using Google Forms, and over several Zoom sessions, Caitlin and Nan’s partnership grew stronger.

One significant aspect of Caitlin’s research was trialling the making of a traditional tāniko band. However, this proved too time-consuming, so she researched the symbolism behind various designs and settled on the pātiki (flounder fish) design. She embroidered the centre triangles of the band with the school crest, a decision that fused Māori and Pākehā thinking.

Caitlin explains, “The colours in the design mirror the St Dominic’s College logo and uniforms. Though the logo is mainly black and white, I chose to incorporate the dark green from our uniforms. This dark green evokes both our school’s identity and a connection to the wider natural landscape.” The horizontal colour blocks evoke the horizon line, representing the ocean and the expansive perspectives that island life brings. Caitlin felt this symbolism spoke to the students’ future, encouraging them to look beyond their immediate surroundings toward what lies ahead after St Dominic’s.

Caitlin honoured the relationship of nature and the environment to the people of the land by using natural feathers and cotton fabric.

To reinforce the themes of hōnore, hautūtanga, and tuakiri, Caitlin embroidered a verse from Proverbs 31:25 on the garment’s lining: “She is clothed in strength and dignity and rejoices without fear of the future.” Caitlin notes that this verse encapsulates the essence of the kahu huruhuru as a symbol of strength and honour.

Then Nan invited Caitlin and Glennis to participate in the Kohara2Shine exhibition (see our earlier blog post on the 2024 Kohara2Shine exhibition).

Create

The creation of the kahu huruhuru was iterative, with Caitlin regularly seeking design feedback from stakeholders. Throughout the making process, the project was kept a secret from the wider school community. Caitlin worked in a separate room, ensuring that she followed tikanga Māori while creating the taonga. The secret was preserved even as Caitlin and Glennis travelled to Wellington to participate in the Kohara2Shine exhibition.

Caitlin and Glennis were the first to arrive at Massey University, so Caitlin was able to select a prime spot to display the taonga. She gained valuable experience curating work in an exhibition, and stitched the korowai onto the mannequin, ensuring that the taonga was presented with mana and hung in just the right way on the mannequin. 

Caitlin left a carry-on suitcase for Nan to use when she returned the taonga to St Dominic’s. When Nan returned the kahu huruhuru to St Dominic’s, an unexpected moment of connection happened—the first person Nan saw in the reception area was Caitlin’s mum, who, on spotting the suitcase, exclaimed, “hey, that’s my suitcase!” Caitlin’s mum, Cindy, was relieved to see the suitcase, knowing that the prized taonga was in that bag. 

Cindy shares: “I can’t even begin to express how proud I am of Caitlin. This project was a huge undertaking and watching her work through it with such determination and grace was truly inspiring. She didn’t give up, even when things got challenging, and that says so much about her strength and character.”

Inspire

The Ceremony

The official ceremony at St Dominic’s took place in the school chapel at 1:10 pm where Caitlin, her whānau, her teacher, the Textiles Technology class and staff, whaea Hera and the whānau class, Te Rito Puawai and the Senior Leadership Team had gathered. Pā Tīpene opened with prayer, followed by Glennis sharing her vision. Caitlin then spoke about her journey in designing the kahu huruhuru. Whaea Nan, known at St Dominic’s as Whaea Walden, discussed how the shared process with Caitlin would inform her thesis research.

After Nan had formally returned the taonga from the Kohara2Shine exhibition, Pā Tipene blessed the cloak before Caitlin placed it on the principal’s shoulders. The ceremony was enriched by the beautiful singing, which lifted the spirits of all in attendance. The shared kai afterward was equally special, fostering a sense of community and celebration. As Nan reflected, “It felt like we were able to bring people together.”

Looking Forward

As the school continues its journey, attention now turns to the process of naming this special taonga, a process that Te Rito Puawai may lead. Nan says, “I hope the plans for naming go well.”

Cindy shares her thoughts: “Remember, it’s not just about the accomplishment itself, but also the journey you take.”

Glennis hopes to talk about the journey of creating the kahu huruhuru with other schools at TENZ 2025. Nan believes that sharing the story of this kahu huruhuru could support schools in understanding that they can create their own kaupapa around gifting, in response to the specifics of their needs and the journeys taken by the taonga they are involved with.

See our September newsletter for the initial write-up about the Kohara2Shine exhibition, the Education Gazette article for a write-up about the inaugural Kohara2Shine in 2023 and the 2024 Education Gazette article!