A traditional woven wahakura is being gifted to prospective parents Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Clarke Gayford by Hāpai Te Hauora, the Māori Public Health Organisation.
Hāpai responded to the announcement last week that Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and partner Clarke Gayford are expecting their first child in June by congratulating them and formally inviting the Prime Minister to receive a traditional flax baby basket for her baby to sleep in.
“Wahakura is a traditional Māori concept but they are used today among Māori and non-Māori parents alike as safe sleep devices,” says Fay Selby-Law, general manager of the National SUDI Prevention Service at Hāpai Te Hauora. “We will present a wahakura to the Prime Minister as a symbol of our support for all parents and tamariki in Aotearoa.”
