tī rākau
1. (noun) stick game - played by six or more people with wooden rods which are thrown by the players to each other in time to a song. Players sit or kneel in a circle a little distance apart from each other. Four sticks are used. Four of the players each have a stick, held vertically in the right hand. In time to the accompanying song they swing the sticks up and down, and, at a certain word in the song, the sticks are thrown to others across or around the circle. At other times, instead of swinging or throwing them, they are lowered until the lower end rests upon the floor, the song giving the cue for all these different actions.
Ka whakakitea ngā mahi a Rau-kata-uri i reira, te waiata, te pūtōrino, te kōauau, te tōkere, te tī ringaringa, te tī rākau, te pākuru, te papaki, te porotiti: mutu katoa ēnei mea kāore hoki a Kae i kata (NM 1928:30). / The activities of Rau-kata-uri were displayed there, singing, the long flute, the short flute, the castanets, hand games, stick games, playing the mouth resonator, hand clapping and the humming disc: when all these things ended Kae still hadn't laughed.
See also tītouretua, tītītouretua, touretua
tī rākau
1. (noun) cabbage tree, Cordyline australis - a palm-like tree with strong, long, narrow leaves; the young inner leaves are eaten both raw and cooked. This variety is found throughout the country in a variety of habitats. The young tree has long narrow leaves which arise from a single trunk. As it matures the trunk becomes bare and branches out.
