Karanga Weka (Weka Caller)

A beautiful soapstone karanga weka carved by Clem Mellish.

Karanga Weka
A karanga weka is a small whistle or breath driven taonga pūoro often aligned with the nguru family. These taonga are used to mimic the calls of the native weka or to produce high pitched melodies. They serve multiple purposes within taonga pūoro practice, including attracting birds, communicating across distances, accompanying karakia, and enhancing musical compositions. Instruments like the karanga weka reflect a deep observation of the natural world, translating the voices of manu (birds) into living sound. Variations in style, pitch, naming, and regional application exist across different iwi, anchored in local ecological knowledge, material availability, and dialectal variations in bird calls.

Gift to the Museum
This taonga was presented to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in 1997 as part of a significant collective gift from the group Haumanu to mark the opening of the new museum. Haumanu was a foundational national collective of artists, carvers, researchers, and composers including figures such as Brian Flintoff, Hirini Melbourne, and Richard Nunns. Active from the late 1980s onward, the group played a pivotal role in the research, resurgence, and ongoing revival of taonga pūoro, serving as a catalyst for restoring the voice of these sleeping treasures to the cultural landscape.

Artist Biography
Clem Mellish (Ngā Puhi) lives and works in the small harbour town of Havelock at the head of Pelorus Sound in Te Tau Ihu (the top of the South Island). Surrounded by native forests and the tranquil waters of Te Hoiere, his artistic practice is informed by daily interactions with the natural environment and his Māori ancestry. Working primarily in pounamu and pakohe (argillite), as well as stone and bone, Clem is a self-taught carver whose works are held in public and private collections worldwide. Alongside his close artistic collaborator Brian Flintoff, he is widely regarded as a leading figure in the modern movement of Māori stone carving and taonga pūoro creation.

References

• Clem Mellish Biography: Jade & Bone, Clem Mellish, https://www.jadeandbone.co.nz/clem-mellish
• Taonga Pūoro Forms & Context: Brian Flintoff, Taonga Pūoro: Singing Treasures, Craig Potton Publishing.
• Weka Dialects & Instrument Context: Jade & Bone, Nga Hau Ngakau Exhibit, https://www.jadeandbone.co.nz/nga-hau-ngakau-exhibit