44. Raranga: weaving ancestral thread with Ahi Nyx

In this episode, we are joined by the powerful and poetic Ahi Nyx (Te Atiawa, Ngāti Raukawa, Mōriori), a takatāpui kairaranga (weaver) based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland). Ahi is a living vessel of mātauranga Māori who brings raranga back into our homes, our bodies, our communities — and into the healing of our identity.

Raranga, the sacred art of Māori weaving, is more than a craft — it is a portal to remember who we are.

Together, we enter Te Whare Pora, the spiritual house of weaving, and explore how raranga reconnects us to ancestral memory, gender fluidity, and the reclamation of our cultural birthrights. Ahi speaks into the complexities of tikanga, when it can be broken and when it must be upheld. We talk about how weaving can be both a personal and collective healing ritual, especially for takatāpui and those carrying intergenerational grief or disconnection from their whakapapa (lingiege).

This kōrero unravels what it means to protect our mana, to be a koha not a hōhā, and to stand strong in our truths even in the face of adversity.

Ahi's wānanga are a reclamation. Her presence is a protest. Her weaving is her karakia (prayer).

Whether you're Māori or tauiwi (foreigner), takatāpui or tāne (male), wahine (female) or non-binary — this episode will leave you inspired to pick up the threads of your own story, and start weaving them home.

What we cover:

• What is raranga and why it's more than weaving

• Te Whare Pora and the wairua (spirit) of creation

• Working with manu (birds) & who can work with their feathers

• Closed practices, cultural protocols, and breaking tikanga (protocols)

• Weaving as identity healing for takatāpui and Māori

• The truth about Māori shoes (yes, we had them!)

• Gender roles in weaving — and how they're evolving

• How to protect your energy and sovereignty as a creator

• Holding sacred space for all identities at marae wānanga (workshops)

• Standing strong in our truths in the face of adversity

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SOCIALS:

AHI NYX Instagram | @ahi.nyxWebsite | www.ahiraranga.com ĀIO: A ROAD TO PEACE

Instagram | @aio.thepodcast Tik Tok | @aio.thepodcastWebsite | www.aiothepodcast.com

TARIKURA KAPEA Instagram | @tarikura_

RESOURCES:Somatic Dance Training Mentioned in Intro Sarsha Hope www.sarshahope.com/