Tokotoko Tāniko (Tāniko Staff)

A tokotoko tāniko (tāniko staff) is a walking stick of kānuka wood that has been adorned with tāniko weaving.

Natural white, dyed light green and dyed dark green muka (New Zealand flax fibre) has been utilised to weave tāniko around this walking stick. The patterns represented are wīwī wawa, mumu, and two variations of patiki.

This tokotoko tāniko was the first to be woven by Adrienne Spratt in 2019. The staff was carved by Mitchell (Midi) Tareha (Ngāti Kuia) from kānuka wood. According to Adrienne the pattern for this tokotoko wasn’t designed but evolved as she wove with thoughts were of Tāne Mahuta and his journey for ngā kete o te wānanga (The three baskets of knowledge). Adrienne also thought of women and karanga and noted that historically men had carved tokotoko, and for wahine it seemed appropriate to weave tāniko. The patterns represented are wīwī wawa, mumu, and two variations of patiki.

"My first thoughts were to create the heavens Tane ascended in order to bring back the kete of knowledge, but it evolved. The patikitiki shape talks about abundance so it’s about the abundance of knowledge both in the spiritual and physical realms. The wīwī wawa lines are the vibration or heartbeat between these two planes."

Adrienne Spratt, 2020

 

Tokotoko Tāniko
The concept of tokotoko tāniko was first conceptualised and created by the late Erenora Puketapu-Hetet in the 1980s. Erenora first conceived of the idea when she witnessed many kokoro (elderly men) with elaborately carved tokotoko in contrast to the many kuia (elderly women) who possessed mass produced aluminium adjustable walking sticks. In response to this Erenora wove around one of these walking sticks with waxed nylon cord and the first tokotoko tāniko was created. Since then, several weavers have woven tokotoko tāniko with a variety of associated representations and stories, however they remain rare.

Tokotoko tāniko, like their male counterparts have become a representation of material Māori culture that specifically represents the whakapapa (geneaology) of wāhine Māori through the visual language and patterns of tāniko.


Sgnificance of Tokotoko
Tokotoko, or the orator’s staff’ are a common sight among Māori and are most frequently seen on the paepae of mārae, or at formal occasions where a kaikōrero (orator) is required. Tokotoko are most frequently carried by males and are a traditional sign of an orator, skilled in the arts of whaikōrero, karakia, and storytelling.

Tokotoko usually draw the attention of a viewer due to the whakairo or carvings that frequently adorn them. These carving usually depict a representation of a tūpuna or ancestor who is usually of direct significance to the person who carries it, representing their whakapapa, and therefore their authority or right to speak. Some tokotoko, in the absence of a direct representation of genetic lineage will often depict a pakiwaitara or story of personal significance to owner or their iwi (tribe) as another way of representing whakapapa, however in most instances, whakapapa is the connecting common factor of all tokotoko.