About Janine

Kia Ora 
Ko Tainui te waka
Ko Waipa te awa
Ko Kakepuku te maunga
Ko Ngati Maniapoto te iwi
Ko Ngati Apakura te hapu
Ko Mokai Kainga te marae
Ko Janine Pokiha toku ingoa

My journey began in 2008 when I met up with a friend in New Plymouth. While sharing time with her she introduced me to Raranga and encouraged me to try. While I was making a putiputi I felt a contentment. I returned home looking to find a course to learn how to weave. Just after that I saw an advertisement through Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and felt disappointed as I couldn’t work it into my life at that time. I was learning to trust that when the time was right I would know. In 2009 I signed up for the classes. I knew I wanted to make kete yet when the kaiako (tutor) spoke about what we were to make I was amazed that so many things could be created through a plant that had always surround me yet I had paid little attention to.

Flax became Harakeke. 

At that time I had been a wife and mother for 17 years which I loved (still do) yet every time I went to class it was like coming home, coming home to me. I connected with some wonderful ladies who shared all the moments of frustration /triumphant. I have not looked back.

While learning raranga I was drawn to crystals, first to all the beautiful colours. I started to learn more about crystals and their healing properties. How they can help us by holding them/wearing them or having them in our homes. I began to create crystals bracelets, earrings and crystals hanging balls and watched how my friends/whanau responded to them. 

I know now my passion is raranga, I love creating all the different range of things that can be made out of harakeke. I enjoy blending harakeke with crystals and am learning to trust my intuition of which crystals to use. For my Bachelor of Māori Visual Art in Raranga I created 7 kete and combined them with crystals, each kete represented a chakra. 

I harvest, prepare and create with my harakeke using the traditions passed through our tupuna. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this, I hope you enjoy watching my journey continue.