How to make ngatu

 

1. After the hiapo is cut down, women and girls peel the bark from the tree.

2. They hang the barkin the sun to dry.

3. They soak the dried bark in water to make it soft.

4. They beat the bark with a wooden tool called an ike to make it thinner and wider.

5. They dry the bark in the sun again. 

6.  in the school hall, the women and girls cover the table with material. this will be backing for the natu.

7. They line up feta'aki along the table on top of this backing material. Then they paste the edges of the feta'aki to the backing material.

8. They cover the backing material with paste.

9. They carefully lay the feta'aki over the top of the backing material. Then they press the two pieces together and slowly roll them up.

10.They  carry the ngatu outside and roll it out on the concrete so it can dry in the sun. when it is dry', they will paint the ngatu with some brown dye, using a piece of feta'aki as a brush.

these strips of dry, flat bark are called feta'aki. The hiapo tree doesn't grow well in new zealand, so feta'aki isn't made here -it's sent to the group from tonga.