Tangaroa - Rangatira
$210.00
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 Rangatira rākau
The Rangatira koikoi is the tallest in our whānau, crafted at 145cm for whānau 6ft and above. It represents the culmination of the progression — from Pōtiki to Teina, to Tuakana — each stage preparing you for this final step.
Features
Wood type: Tawhai
Length: 145cm x 25mm diameter
Binding: Dark blue semi-waxed cord
Feathers: Dark Teal Schlappen Strung Feathers
Finish: Beeswax natural finish
Who is Tangaroa?
Tangaroa is the atua of the seas and the kaitiaki of all life within the ocean. The moana can be calm and peaceful one moment, wild and destructive the next. For Māori, the ocean is central to life. A source of kai, resources and connection. Tangaroa is one of the 70 children of Ranginui and Papatūānuku, and his domain is Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa, the great ocean of Kiwa.
Significance for Rangatira
The Rangatira embodies the vast authority of the deep ocean. It is the culmination of the journey — standing tall, carrying both strength and compassion, like a leader shaped by the rhythms of Tangaroa. This taonga calls its bearer to lead as the ocean does: calm in times of peace, powerful in times of challenge and always sustaining the wellbeing of its people.
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 taonga 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