Maori Bone Carving Project (without the bones)

DIY Maori "Bone" Necklace

As I mentioned in the post a few days ago, the Maori are very artistic and decorate everything.  Their canoes are beautifully carved, their homes and meeting houses are painted and carved, even their bodies have markings.  Most of this art serves a function.  It tells a story of a historical event or person, it serves a practical purpose (i.e. house post or canoe) or it is a decoration for the home or body.  The last function is where our next project idea came from - decoration!  The Maori do beautiful carvings in bone of different symbols.  They wear them as necklaces and each symbol is worn for a different reason or purpose.  Now, as much as they'd like to, I'm not about to give a 5 year old and a 3 year old carving tools!  So we used some modeling clay and some wooden skewers - our results were pretty amazing and we still have all our fingers :) If you'd like to see some real carved necklaces Kiwikoru.com has many beautiful ones, as well as information about the symbols.  But, this is what the kids and I did...

This symbol is called Koru and represents an unfurling fern.  It is the symbol for growth, harmony and a new beginning.

This symbol, called Pikoura, represents eternity and friendship.  Also can symbolize two groups or people coming together as one. 

The fish hook symbol, or hei matau, is said to give its wearer safe passage over water and represents power and authority.

This little guy is called a hei tiki and is the symbol of great inner knowledge and strong character.  It is worn as a good luck charm and is usually made of greenstone.  Many families pass them down as heirlooms.

My little bone-carver had a great time making her hei tiki and we are anxiously waiting for it to dry! We can use all the good luck we can get (and a little strength of character never hurts either!) 

You oughta be in pictures - moviemaking in New Zealand

You Oughta Be In Pictures - Moviemaking in New Zealand

With its amazing scenery, beautiful weather and wonderfully welcoming people, it's no wonder that New Zealand has become a mecca for moviemakers.  There are snow-capped mountains and green lush valleys.  Volcanic lakes and fjords created by glaciers!

You can go skiing and surfing on the same day and all on an affordable budget!  For years movie makers have made us think that the beautiful scenery was actually New Zealand was mythical fantasy lands.  The Lord of the Rings Trilogy was filmed entirely on location in New Zealand - did you see that movie?  It was breathtaking, super long , but breathtaking scenery!!  The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was also filmed in New Zealand.  A country that looks so much like a fantasy land that you feel like you are on a movie set?  I really want to go there- maybe I can get a part in the Hobbit :)  Another movie that was filmed in New Zealand and is actually ABOUT New Zealand is Whale Rider , about a Maori tribe whose chief is ailing and the apparent heir has no interest.  The Chief's granddaughter must fight for the right to rule her people.  A wonderful, empowering movie with a great message for young girls but it is rated PG-13 so I probably won't be showing most of it to my kids, but I've got it on Netflix ready to go. * 9/9/12 I just watched Whale Rider and don't want to recommend it for very young kids - some emotional scenes.  I cried a few times but it was a beautiful movie and knowing what I've learned about the Maori really helped me get more out of it!  I didn't mean for this post to turn into a movie review or an ad for Lord of the Rings,  I just was struck by how diverse the landscapes of New Zealand is.  I hadn't really thought of it as much, I figured it was probably just like Australia, a place I was lucky enough to visit as a child.  But New Zealand has really struck me as a special kind of place - so calm and naturally beautiful.  The native animals so unique and interesting.   I just want to burst into Louis Armstrong singing "What a Wonderful World"....and with that thought I'm going to leave you with few pics of beautiful New Zealand....

                           Beautiful, isn't it?

Baaaaa, baaaa!

Got wool?

Know what they have a lot of in New Zealand? Sheep.  Lots and lots of sheep.  For every one person in New Zealand there are 12 sheep.  That's a lot of wool.  Since the first sheep was brought to the island by Captain Cook in 1773, the country has become one of the world's top producers of wool, with 25% of the world's total coming from this small island nation.  New Zealand is also an huge importer of lamb meat.  The sheep are kept in natural pastures eating the wild grasses, not housed in huge barns and fed sheep chow.  New Zealand lamb is considered some of the best.  Which is probably why it was WAY out of my budget! Add that to the fact that I have a problem eating "baby" animals and you can understand why a lamb recipe is not our next project.  My husband and brother like lamb and I'm sure many of you like it too - that's totally fine by me but I made something I think you'll like just as well.  We call it "Lamb for Vegetarians" and it also incorporates another popular New Zealand treat - ANZAC biscuits (cookies).

These cookies are a tradition in New Zealand and Australia, named for the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps, they were sent to the soldiers in WWI to help them remember their homeland.  Now they are a treat for everyone to enjoy and remember the soldiers who fought to keep the world safe.  Now they have been turned into sheep ... :)

For the project you will need:

• 1/2 c butter
• Golden syrup - 1 T - We really like this stuff! If you'd like to try but can't find in your area click on link.  A butterscotchy taste :)
• 1 t baking soda
• 2 T boiling water 
• 1 c flour - I used coconut flour because I have a gluten-free friend and plan to share and thought it might add flavor
• 1 c brown sugar
• 1 c dessicated coconut - I looked it up and dessicated means flaked and dried- I'd always seen that and wondered :)
• 1 c rolled oats
• 1 t ground ginger

1.  Melt the butter and Golden Syrup together.  Resist the temptation to drink and settle for a finger dip or two :) YUM
2.  Dissolve baking soda in the boiling water and add to the butter/syrup - watch it get all fluffy and frothy - COOL huh?
3.  Mix all the other ingredients in bowl and combine
4.  Add liquid to dry and combine well.
5.  Now the fun part!  You can either "drop by rounded spoonfuls and flatten slightly" like the recipes say OR you can make vaguely sheep-shaped cookies, or whatever shape you want for that matter.
6.  Bake at 325º for about 18 mins. or until golden brown

7.  Let cool and eat or decorate with melted white and dark chocolate so they look like little fuzzy, delicious lambs.  The kind you can sink your teeth into without the pricetag (or the guilt)! 

G'day from the Land of Kiwis

Land of the Kiwi?

Welcome to New Zealand, the land of Kiwis.  No, not the fruit, the people of New Zealand call themselves Kiwis.  Not totally sure why, but pretty sure it is after one of the native birds of New Zealand, the kiwi.  A cute little flightless bird that is found only on the islands of New Zealand.  A cute name for a bird so why not call themselves it too right? Sure.  Anyway, by now you know our next country, again picked by my daughter, again a pretty purple on the map - I'm noticing a trend. 

New Zealand is an island nation in the southwest Pacific Ocean.  For those playing along on the map, it's 41.2ºS/174.7ºE at the capital city of Wellington, which gives it the distinction of being the southernmost capital city in the world.  I hadn't realized Antartica had no cities.  Another fun thing about New Zealand is that it was the last land mass to be populated by humans (and most other mammals too) and because of that was able to develop some very unique bird, animal and plant species.  3 species of bats were the only native land mammals before human boats came with their rats and other assorted vermin.  However, the oceans and beaches that surround the country are full of marine mammals (whales, seals, dolphins, etc) and other marine creatures.  I never really associated New Zealand with penguins, but we learned that more penguin species live there than anywhere else (I see a penguin art project in the near future).

Not exactly "native" to New Zealand, but the first people to settle there, were the Maori people.  These Eastern Polynesian people are believed to have set out in huge canoes from the Cook Islands in search of new lands.  They seem to have gotten to New Zealand sometime between 800 to 1300 , although most sites said 1200-ish.  They are a very decorative people, with designs and symbols painted or carved into every aspect of their culture- including themselves!  Maori tattoos (moko) were given as a rite of passage into adulthood and a symbol of status and rank.  They were different from other tattoos in that they were chiseled into the skin, creating a ridge of scar tissue - OUCH!!! Men and women got the moko. although women generally only got them on the chin and lip area, while men got them on their faces, buttocks, thighs and backs.  Another reason I'm glad to be a woman :)  The custom started to fade out in the 1860's, as the Maori wanted to blend in with the white New Zealanders, but a resurgence in cultural identity in the 1990's has seen an increase again.  However cool they seem, if you are not a Maori it is a real insult to them if you copy their symbols.  The rite of "te moko" is a sacred one to the Maori people and it's usually not done after a wild night in Vegas (a la the Hangover ) or for a fun face painting project - darn!  So lets learn how to count to 10 in the Maori language instead.

 

 1 - tahi      2 - rua      3- toru     4- wha      5 - rima      6 - ono

 7 - whitu    8 - waru    9 - iwa     10- tekau

Now you can count in "te reo" or "the language" of the Maori.