Weaving tī kōuka and tech video transcript

Visual

A title screen using a semi-transparent overlay on top of an image of a forest. In turquoise font it reads: ‘Dr Nancy Garrity and team, weaving tī kōuka and tech’. Underneath is the Science for Technological Innovation National Science Challenge logo.

As the title fades and the overlay clears the camera pans to the right. In the process, the footage switches to a large tree and we continue to pan right, peaking beyond it to a view of Scion, a large building with three triangular wooden archways and large green and orange painted windows. Next, is a shot of Nancy close up who speaks to the camera. We can tell she is inside the building as the window right behind her has the distinct painted glass. On the bottom right corner of the screen, it reads ‘Dr Nancy Garrity, Project leader & Pou Pūtahitanga Manger Ao Māori-Science Interface, ESR’. Under a dividing line it says ‘Ngāti Makirangi, Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāti Hine’. She wears glasses with her hair pulled back in a bun. The camera switches angles a few times as she talks.

The shot changes to a birds-eye view of a group of cabbage trees. The camera zooms in and then switches to a side-on closeup of the leaves of one tree. The camera follows the leaves up to the top of the plant. The leaves, which come out from the top of the trunk, are long, narrow and pointed at the ends. The next shot has a Māori carving out of focus in the foreground and the cabbage trees in focus in the background. As the camera zooms out the carving comes into focus, and the background blurs.
Now, Nancy speaks to the camera and then the scene switches back to the outside of the Scion building, just in front of the archways. Nancy greets two other women with hugs and kisses on the cheek. The words ‘Scion Research Institute’ appear at the bottom right corner of the screen. They walk towards the entrance of the building talking to each other.

Audio

Dr Nancy Garrity:
Kia ora. Ko Nancy Garrity tōku ingoa. Ko Waikato Tainui ma Ngā Puhi ōku iwi, ko Ngāruawāhia tōku tūrangawaewae. He kaimahi ahau mā ESR, kei Ōtautahi au, e noho ana.

English translation:
Hello. My name is Nancy Garrity. My roots are firmly embedded with the iwi of Waikato Tainui and Ngā Puhi. I was raised in Ngaruawahia - where my heart is and remains my place to stand in the world. I work at ESR based in Ōtautahi (Christchurch).

I broker the interface between Western science and Te Ao Māori or mātauranga. And I advocate for our Western scientist but it's firmly with the focus on the benefits and best impacts for Marley. Our research looks at the chemical and the mechanical aspects of tī kōuka or Cordyline Australis, bit known as cabbage tree fibers and we look at how those fibers could potentially be incorporated into microbial polymers. Tī kōuka was used for pake or for kete so for capes and backpacks but also for ropes and bindings in waka. Our weavers who are based in Te Aroha, Leilani and Anastasia Rickard and they bring with them the mātauranga.

Visual

One of the women from the previous shot now talks directly to the camera. She sits outside in front of flax plants. Her hair is short and spiky with grey on the sides and bright red on top. The right lower corner reads “Leilani Rickard- Research mātauranga Māori partner” and below “Ngāti Rangiwewehi, Tuhourangi, Ngāti Rangitihi, Ngāti Whakaue”.

Audio

Leilani Rickard:
I think it's very important that we hand down the knowledge to our younger people.

Visual

Now the other woman, who wears a flower fascinator (looks like a flower crown) and leather jacket talks to the camera in front of the flax plants. The bottom right corner of the screen reads “Anastasia Rickard: Research Mātauranga Māori partner” and underneath “Ngāti Whakaue, Ngāti Porou, Te Arawa, Tainui”

Audio

Anastasia Rickard:
There's a lot of different tech styles, a lot of different biotechnologies that we could help build and help benefit the community.

Visual

The shot switches to another angle of the front of the Scion building, and then inside to a man’s arms which pulls sheets out of a low cabinet. They have flat pieces on top in the shape of long-stemmed hourglasses. They appear fibrous and have numbers and letters written on them in black marker. Next, Nancy stands and talks to the man, who we now see wears safety glasses, as he holds the sheet between them. As he gestures towards the shapes on the sheet the camera zooms into the shape between them and then focuses on a large piece of laboratory machinery. Next, we see a close up of two of the flat hourglass shapes being held in the palm of someone’s hand. They are about as long as the hand and as wide as two fingers at the ends.

Audio

Dr Nancy Garrity:
The mātauranga, the traditional extract fibers are a lot stronger than what we're seeing in the chemically pulled fibers. The polymers for composite materials that were made actually are aesthetically more pleasing.

Visual

Leilani talks to the camera outside in the same setting as before.

Audio

Leilani Rickard:
I was looking at the outer beauty of this plant. Now I'm looking at the inner beauty of it.

Visual

The scene cuts to three logos. On top is one for the Science for Technological Innovation National Science Challenge, and under it, side by side from left to right is one for the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and then one for Callaghan Innovation with the subheading New Zealand’s Innovation Agency. The logos disappear revealing a web address in a turquoise font that reads stfichallenge.govt.nz. Below, the phrase “He hiringa hangarau, he oranga tangata” is written in bold font, with “Innovation in technology for the benefit of people” written below that in plain font.