Waka Huia 2025 - Ep7 - Kumeroa Gregory

Kumeroa Gregory. He wahine matatau ki ngā mahi raranga me ngā mahi rongoa. Pakeke mai ia ki Te Urewera i ngā rekereke o tōna kuia a Mere Tukua me tōna koroua a Ruakenana. Heoi, I te tau 1970 ka nuku ia ki Te Taitokerau, ki Pukepoto whakatipu ai ōna tamariki. Nā wai rā, ka piri atu ia ki ngā kuia o te rohe, akohia ai ngā mahi raranga, me te ruku kuta, taua pukenga motuhake ki Te Taitokerau. Aupiki, auheke, kua mahue mai a Kumeroa me onā pukenga rongoa, pukenga raranga hei tāonga mo te hāpori o Pukepoto.

In this episode of Waka Huia, we document the life and practice of Kumeroa Gregory, a skilled rongoā and weaving practitioner. Raised in Te Urewera under the guid- ance of her kuia and koroua, Ruakenana, Kumeroa’s journey took a significant turn in 1970 when she moved up north. There, she raised her children and had the oppor- tunity to meet and learn from the elders of the time. It was in the north that she learned the arts of weaving and diving for kuta skills traditionally practiced in the north and other parts of Aotearoa. Through the ups and downs of life, Kumeroa has held onto this knowledge, and today, she shares it with the beloved community of Pukepoto.
_____________________
Kumeroa Gregory
Ringatohu: Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne
#KumeroaGregory #raranga #rongoā #Māori #WakaHuia #TVNZ