Kete

Kete is a Māori word meaning basket, and in New Zealand it is used to describe a woven container as well as broader ideas of collection and storage. The term reflects a practical object that can hold food, tools, or treasured items, and it carries cultural significance rooted in traditional weaving practices.

In traditional Māori weaving, kete are crafted from plant fibers, most commonly harakeke (New Zealand flax). They vary in size and shape, from small pouches to larger carrying baskets, and their construction showcases both the maker’s skill and regional weaving styles. Kete are valued for their functionality as well as their aesthetic patterns, and they appear in everyday use as well as ceremonial contexts.

Beyond its literal sense, kete functions as a metaphor for a storehouse of resources, knowledge, or memory. The concept has entered everyday language and is used in educational, cultural, and organizational contexts to evoke gathering, sharing, and custodianship of what a community possesses.

In modern usage, kete is often adopted as a proper name for digital repositories, libraries, community initiatives, and other projects, particularly in Aotearoa New Zealand. This reflects the idea of a container that holds and connects people with information, heritage, and collaborative efforts.

As a cultural concept, the kete embodies both practical function and symbolic meaning as a vessel for what a community gathers, preserves, and passes on to future generations.