Wānana Pounamu
Tanata Rau Whero (indigenous peoples of Aotearoa) have understood the word Pounamu for thousands of years. The rest of the world know it as Jade or 'greenstone'.
We also understand Pounamu as a tipuna (ancestor). As such, we know it to be an extension of the natural world we live in. This is why - when we speak of Pounamu - we do not speak of it as an inanimate object.
We host a 1 day wānanga pounamu and are committedto sharing some of the knowledge we have received during our 30 years with Pounamu.
We share how our ancestors, as well as modern day people, participate in and understand the amazing gifts that Pounamu presents us with. The ability to connect with the natural world of pounamu and rediscover it's transformative and healing nature. Through the use of tikangā (protocall). kawa (tradition), hoanga (sandstone) and orooro (sound) we bring into a modern setting the accient practice of Te Ao Kōhatu.
WĀNANA POUNAMU
1 day workshops
Nau mai te Atua
Tau mai te tapu
Poutini ara ake
During the wānana Pounamu (workshop) we all start together with a takutaku and we all finish together with a takutaku, this tunes participants to their Pounamu and fosters a sense of kotahitanga (unity) . Through the use of Hoana (Sandstone) they bring alive the true beauty of Poutini (Guardian of Pounamu), finishing in the plaiting of the cord, where by each participant leaves wearing their own Pounamu pendant.
These wānana are about creating a connection between the participants and the Pounamu, this connection is made by way of learning the history's and genealogies of Pounamu and it's guardian Poutini, this esoteric understanding of Pounamu is shared to participants as they work and will help bond them to their Pounamu, making it truly there own.
