Student Kura Stevens gave an excellent talk about his whānau tradition of making Poha for harvesting Tītī.
It's always exciting when a student wants to step up and share their knowledge with their peers - so we were stoked when Kura brought some fresh rimurapa in to school to demonstrate the traditional process his whānau use to make Pōhā - the boys even got to get hands on!
The kelp harvest is just a small part of the whole process of harvesting Tītī (Muttonbird) which has been handed down through Kura's whakapapa for generations through Mahinga Kai. His whānau are the last whānau still practicing the tradition on Piko Mamaku Nui - one of the Tītī Islands off the coast of Rakiura.
It's a year-round process which starts in December, when harakeke is harvested, stripped and boiled to make kete to hold the Pōhā. Collecting the rimurapa takes place at the beginning of the year at either Kaka Point or Moeraki, and depending on the tide and the weather it can take multiple trips to collect enough. Climate change and pollution have affected the rimurapa and made it more difficult to find in the right condition - the pieces used can't have holes or they won't be airtight for the next part of the process, so it takes a keen eye and a lot of knowledge to find the right pieces!
Once harvested, the rimurapa is blown up like a balloon using a bamboo straw, and then dried in the sun to make the main 'bag' for the Pōhā. Harvesting of the Tītī takes place from March to June - traditionally, the birds are plucked, dipped in wax, cooked in their own oil and once packed into the Pōhā can be preserved for 3-4 years! Although these days, a preserve made of blood and salt helps to preserve the Tītī for even longer.
Tōtara bark also needs to be harvested to wrap around the rimurapa, which insulates the Pōhā and its precious cargo. The kete, rimurapa and tōtara bark are all tied together with harakeke using a special knot known by fishermen all over Polynesia.
It's definitely a complicated process, but it's a worthwhile one. Tītī are a delicacy which Kura described for the uninitiated as similar to a very tasty, salty duck - the Pōhā full of birds are often traded or gifted between whānau - and occasionally sold.
A huge mihi to Kura for sharing this knowledge with us and to his whānau who continue to keep their Mahinga Kai tradition alive, retaining the matauranga and passing on the tradition through the generations. Ka mau te wehi!
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