Rongo - Teina

Choosing Your Taonga
Each of our koikoi is individually numbered — no two are ever the same. We believe it is not just you who chooses the taonga — the taonga chooses you.

About our Teina rākau
The Teina koikoi is designed for tamariki aged 5–10 years, bridging the step between our smallest Pōtiki and the larger rākau of Tuakana and Rangatira. At 110cm, it allows tamariki to grow their confidence, strength, and discipline while carrying the same mana as its larger whānau.

Features
Wood type: Tawhai
Length: 110cm x 25mm diameter
Binding: White semi-waxed cord
Feathers: Light Blue Schlappen and White Marabou Strung Feathers 
Finish: Beeswax natural finish

Who is Rongo?
Rongo is the atua of peace, agriculture, and cultivation. Gentle and benevolent, he is linked with prosperity, growth, and the well-being of people. Often shown with a wooden staff or hoe, Rongo symbolises the nurturing of life and the balance needed to help it flourish.

Significance for Teina
The Teina reflects the growing stages of cultivation. Like a garden beginning to flourish under careful tending, tamariki 5-10 years old learn discipline, resilience, and balance as they grow in confidence. This taonga carries Rongo's qualities of guidance and steady development, reminding us that growth requires patience and care.

What is a koikoi?
Traditionally, the koikoi was a long spear sharpened on both ends, used with a two-handed grip to strike and parry.

At Tekotiri, each koikoi carries its own mauri, reminding us that every journey is unique. More than rākau, they are pathways of connection, guiding whānau back to their whakapapa and forward into their own journey. 

Continue the journey
Explore our guided mau rākau tutorials with Caleb and Jackie Kutia on YouTube, and walk further with us in this kaupapa.

Ngā mihi nui,
Caleb & Jackie Kutia
Founders of Tekotiri Limited