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Overview
Raranga Face Mask woven from boiled and dyed harakeke (New Zealand flax). The mask has been lined with a cotton fabric to provide protection against pathogens. Braided muka has been attached to function as ties.
This raranga face mask was woven by Purewa MacGregor (Taranaki) who is currently based in Hastings. These masks were developed by Purewa during the COVID-19 pandemic, and were utilised by essential workers and members of the community during the crisis.
Purewa’s development of the concept of the harakeke mask was in direct response to what she saw on television and in person in the build up to Alert Level 4.
"I seen Māori everywhere wearing scarves, bandanas, hats, and all sorts of things looking for a way of protection during the pandemic and I decided to create something for them. I wanted a way to help my community in a way that allowed them to be safe and be Māori.’
These masks are an innovative form of protection that not only allowed people to remain safe, but utilised traditional practices in a way that allowed for a visible expression of Māori identity. Purewa notes that all the techniques used to construct the mask are those she uses regularly in other woven taonga, therefor the adaptation of harakeke to make a mask was very easy. In order to make a product that was aimed at being functional she liaised via email with medical professionals. This was important for Purewa who wanted to ensure she did her best to produce a quality mask. Although there is no formal study to demonstrate that these specific masks adequately protect from COVID-19, the response from the Māori community has been significant and positive with Te Aō Māori news producing a news story on Tuesday 7th of April, 2020.
COVID-19 originated in the city of Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The World Health Organisation first reported the disease on 31 December 2019, and described COVID-19 as a pandemic on 11 March 2020, making it the first pandemic to be caused by a coronavirus. The first New Zealand case was reported on 28 February 2020.
The New Zealand government instituted a four-level alert system on Saturday 21 March 2020 when it immediately went to alert level 2 (where the disease is contained but risks are growing); then quickly to alert level 3 on Monday 23 March (where the disease is increasingly difficult to contain); and finally to alert level 4 on Wednesday 25 March at 11.59pm (where there is sustained transmission). Alert level 4 eliminates contact as much as possible. Essential services were maintained, but non-essential businesses and institutions were closed, and everyone was directed to stay at home until COVID-19 was under control. New Zealand’s borders were closed for entry to almost all travellers.