In Te Orokoomaa, the artist A R A P E T A depicts the ceremonial act of collecting koowhatu koomaa (greywacke stones) at their kaainga Whakatiiwai Aotearoa (the artist's ancestral home). The film documents the process of selecting stones of the highest densities, which are optimal for the creation of customary Maaori stone adze. Adzes are an archaic cutting tool similar to an axe, with a blade made from stone.
A R A P E T A carries the legacy of making adze from their whaanau, Te Whaanau Tuukaramaene, which in turn gives its name to the anglicised 'Coromandel' of the Coromandel Peninsula. One of the few customary knowledge holders in Aotearoa, the artist proposes the revival of this traditional practice through contemporary moving-image.
