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Jon Jeet (Ngāti Maniapoto and Fijian Indian), a registered Ngāi Tahu carver and Master of Fine Arts has been carving pounamu and teaching others for 20 years. He was trained by skilled pounamu experts in Te Tai Poutini and believes in the healing processes of pounamu as a Māori knowledge-based system,
Jon is humble in both his approach to the ancient art of pounamu carving and the commitment he has to sharing this knowledge with our community.
Kia ora katoa, Ko Ngā Kohatu Whakarakaraka o Tamatea Pōkai Whenua te maonga, Ko Ararira te awa, Ko Ben tōku ingoa.
Hi, I’m Ben, and I started carving nearly 2 years ago, through Tūhono Taonga Tūhono tangata, I feel that I have found my creative outlet. I will be facilitating a couple of courses and doing some of the background stuff. Some of my experience comes from being a Secondary Teacher and working in mental health, but also taku haerenga (my journey) throughout my life. I love having a creative outlet for my taha wairua and taha hinengaro and to ground myself.
I am also a qualified chef, so I spend my time outside of Wānanga, cooking and feeding my family, spending as much time with my own kids as I can and going on big walks with them and my dogs. I love sport, movies, video games and being creative, drawing and writing.
Ko Tapuae-o-uenuku te maunga whakahirahira
Ko Wairau te awa manahau
He Celtic ōku tūpuna
Ko Waiharakeke te whenua tupu
Ko Stone tōku whānau
Ko Jono tōku ingoa Tēnā koutou katoa
Kia ora e hoa, ko Jono ahau, I was born in Waiharakeke (Blenheim) and moved to call Ōtautahi home in 2023 after stints living in various cities across Aotearoa and abroad. Upon moving to Christchurch I met Jon and Iri who welcomed me into this kaupapa, where I’ve spent the last few years developing my carving skillset with them and sharing the mātauranga with our community. As an artist and yogi this kaupapa simply highlights what I value most in life; creative expression and connection. Connection to Papatūānuku, our own wairua and each other. I love that all whānau involved in Tūhono Taonga, Tūhono Tāngata shares these values and looks to uplift and empower each other.
Karl Ruautu Daniela has many ancestral connections around the motu. His māori connections are with Ngati haua of Te Rarawa, Ngāti Tuwharetoa of Te Arawa, and extend through to the Cook Island, Hawaiki, Samoa, Tonga over to the U.K and few places in Western Europe.
Karl is a kaihonohono, yoga teacher, and self-taught carver.
Karl's interest in kōhatu and carving comes from his learnings in practicing Traditional Maori Healing.
Creating taonga started out as a creative outlet with friends to help him find balance internally.
This is one of the main reasons Karl chooses to share this mahi.
Ko Tihirau te maunga
Ko Whangaparaoa te awa
Ko Te Whānau ā Apanui te iwi
Ko Kauaetangohia te hapū
Ko Tauira mai Tawhiti me Mataatua me Horouta ngā waka
Ko Apanui te tangata
Ko Hunia Here Waenga toku ingoa
Tena kautau katoa.
Kia Ora, I am Hunia Waenga, born in Porirua in 1993, with ancestral affiliations to Whangaparaoa (te tai rawhiti) and Kaeo (te tai tokirau). Following my relocation to Christchurch in 1997, I have established this city as my home. Under the tutelage of Jon Jeet, I have spent nearly two years honing my craft in carving pounamu. This experience has been profoundly transformative, reinvigorating my connection to my Māori heritage and fostering a deeper understanding of myself. Through the art of carving, I have discovered a means of authentic self-expression, facilitating meaningful connections and the sharing of knowledge. The process of carving pounamu is a therapeutic and introspective journey, encouraging individuals to explore their thoughts and emotions. I believe with expert guidance and personal dedication, individuals can develop the necessary skills to redefine their narratives and forge their own paths. Nga Mihi.
Tutoko Wallace
Kai Tahu/Ngati Mamoe/Ngati Porou
Kati Mahaki Ki Makaawhio
Te Aitanga a Hauiti
Born in Otautahi, raised in Nelson, The West Coast and Hawkes Bay, and now back in Otautahi. I have been surrounded by pounamu since I can remember, there was always rocks sitting around the house and we spent a lot of time on the awa. I never thought to much about it until one day at the marae Jeff mahuika had his sanding gear in the back of his car and i polished up my first piece and have not stopped since.
2025 marks 10 years of carving Pounamu and now I have a new look on design-work and crafting to the highest quality with input from everyone, always learning, always studying. A few achievements- Completed the diploma in jade and hard-stone carving in 2016 @ TPP, Worked out of Mountain Jade and Westland Greenstone, Joined the ranks of Tuhono Taonga in 2019/2020, ongoing mahi with Fayne and Caleb Robinson including Iron Maori, Olympics and IFAM, ongoing mahi with Ngai Tahu Pounamu.
Here are some of our amazing ākonga.
Here are some of our amazing ākonga.
They have been engaged in this journey in different ways along the way. They are the reason we are wanting to grow this kaupapa
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