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The Material Culture of the Cook Islands (Aitutaki)

Preparation of Material

Preparation of Material.

As the preparation of material is done in distinct stages with a number of leaves, each stage is here described with its distinctive word or phrase.

Ka hiri te kauru. After the leaves are cut from the plant the tip ends (kauru) are plaited (hiri) into a three-ply braid.

Ka tauraki ki te ra. The braid carrying the leaves is hung up to dry (tauraki) in the sun (ra), Fig. 91.

Figure 91.Rauhara leaves hung up to dry.

Figure 91.
Rauhara leaves hung up to dry.

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Ka pokaka. When dry, the leaves are cut at the junction with the braid, to release the individual leaves. In drying, the edges of the leaves shrivel and curl in. Each leaf is wound round the fingers of the left hand (pokaka) to open out the leaf (kia mahora ai). As each leaf is done, it is laid beside the worker until the whole series is completed.

Ka paoro. To further straighten oat the leaves, each is scraped (paoro) with a kahi shell.

Ka porotaka, ka tapeka. A leaf is now rolled closely round the finger (porotaka) and other leaves added until a fair-sized roll is formed. This is tied (tapeka) by passing a strip of rauhara through the central hole left on removing the finger, and tying it round a radius of the circle. The roll so formed is called a tupe, and to be quite clear, a tupe rauhara. These rolls are often sent to friends in other islands such as Rarotonga, where there is not such good material. They may even be bought in the stores. The tupe rolls are put away for use.

When plaiting actually commences, the women sit down with the tupe rolls beside them and subject them to two more processes to convert them into wefts.

Ka tatara, ka paoro. The roll is unfastened (tatara) and each leaf is again scraped (paoro). The scraping not only straightens out the leaf, but renders it softer and more flexible. A kahi shell may be used or a piece of cocoanut shell (anga ipu).

Ka hitoe. Hitoe is to split into narrow widths; Maori, toetoe. With the firmer New Zealand flax, the Maori splits the leaf with the thumb nail and runs the strips out to the tip of the leaf with the fingers. In Aitutaki, the leaf is pierced with a sharp point which is run down to the tip of the leaf. The sharp point formerly used was a spine of the porcupine fish (ivi totara). Now a safety pin is universally used. The edges of the leaf and the midrib are discarded. Each leaf, or rather half-leaf, provides three or four strips, which are left connected at the butt end. The unsplit butt connection of the half-leaf assists in keeping the strips together when the plaiting commences. They are left of sufficient length to form a join with another set of strips at a later stage in the plaiting.