We saw updates on the news and were watching will little regard since Dec 2019 when the outbreak was rampant in China. None of us really knew what to expect and we carried on with our lives until the reality hit... the country was going into LOCKDOWN.
The repercussions of this announcement was felt immediately, with people panicking not knowing how to fully prepare. The result... stockpile buying in stores etc and it was the beginning of the new norm for many of us for 4 weeks. Our world changed with 'social distancing' and 'safe bubbles'. For Māori (or my experience anyway) this was foreign as we are very social people and are close to family so not being able to harirū and hug those we hold dear was new too. Historically we knew the devastation that the influenza had on our people so we are being super cautious during this time of uncertainty.
The effect this virus has had on those of us who have embarked on a journey of learning this year has also caused some devastation. This year I have chosen to take on two diplomas of study; Te Reo me ona Tikanga Māori (Te Tohu Hiwi) and Whakairo (Toi Paematua) both courses pose wero for me. Te Reo being Level 5 is total immersion which includes rangahau, tuhituhi and presentations all in Te Reo. With lockdown this has put a stop to ALL classes, both night and noho. It has also created a challenge of not having sufficient support in terms of not being able to contact my tutor (no internet connection and service in Whananaki at her home) and also having no guidance and direction for my assignments.
My Whakairo class has its own challenges also, not so much on the creative process, exploration, or organisation but more-so on the 'creation'. Having zero carving skills when joining this course I was relying heavily on watching and learning from some of the more experienced students in our class (who are in their 3rd year of whakairo) and also the expertise of our tutor to support me through this.
After reading a number of books during the early stages of lockdown I realised that our tūpuna were very skilled in finding solutions. So I asked myself the question "What would my tūpuna do in this situation?" My answer was simple "TINORANGATIRATANGA!" My hoa rangatira shared with me his simple explanation of what this means to him... Utilising available resources in order to achieve whatever you need to achieve! So this is how I have looked at the wero that COVID-19 virus has thrown down.
My first assignment is 'Taonga Pūoro' and once I was set up (both mentally and physically) I sat and figured out how to solve my problem by looking at the resources (and skill set) I currently had and how to be be creative, while fulfilling the requirements of the course outline.
Step 1: Prepare hue (sanding)
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