Information Report - Harakeke

Harakeke is a native plant. The scientific name for Harakeke is Phromium tenax.

Harakeke is green and it can remind people of hedgehog spikes. It is long and pointy. The inside blades are the young blades and they are protected by the outside blades.

Before you cut harakeke it is important to say a Karakia to bless the plant so that it can grow stronger. Say thank you to Tane Mahuta when you are saying your Karakia. If there are any left over harakeke you must put it under a bush.

Did you know harakeke heals many types of sicknesses? Harakeke can be used as a medicine. It heasls sicknesses like toothaches, earaches, boils sores and wounds.

I think harakeke is a good medicine because it respects the Maori culture and it heals many sicknesses.

By Maopa

ROOM 7'S Korowai Cloaks

ROOM 7'S Korowai Cloaks

Press play to see how Room 7 made their Korowai Cloaks.

A korowai is a Maori cloak. It is made out of feathers. People in the Maori culture mainly wear a korowai at special occasions with pride and honour.

Making a korowai builds relationships as people work together to make this cloak. A korowai can take more than one year to create because they are mainly hand woven.

By Fa’amanu

Room 7 made a korowai. We traced our hands and put our korowai together. We were building positive relationships during the process of making our korowai. Each group agreed on a korowai design and colours for their korowai. We enjoyed making our korowai cloak.

By Angelina

All about me by Room 7

We have put together a collage about who we are as individuals.

These collage represent our culture and personality.

Tip Top Trip

Manaiakalani Film Festival

My Day Making Butter.

One hot day I was churning the butter, I felt exhausted and I wanted to go swimming with my friends. But my mum said "no". I still had to churn the butter my arms are aching, my hand is sweating drip by drip and it’s a really, really hot day. My forehead was sweating and the butter was getting thick, smooth and creamy. It is getting thick and hard, I looked inside the churn it was finished. I asked my mum if I could go swimming, she said “yes” and I was allowed to swim.

By Jazmine.