4 minute read
Pūrākau in motion at James Cook School in Marton
In the Rangitīkei district, pūrākau are being shared with ākonga through movement-based learning, strengthening their connection to place and identity. This active storytelling partnership between school and iwi has also given greater purpose to the use of te reo Māori in the classroom.
At Tini Waitara Marae, nestled along the banks of the serene Turakina River, kaiako from James Cook School in Marton chuckle together as they navigate the art of poi toa making. Back in the classroom, ākonga will use the poi toa in a game designed to embrace mātauranga Māori and keep their bodies moving.
This initiative is part of a kaupapa supported by the Healthy Active Learning team at Sport Whanganui. Kaiako work with iwi to learn pūrākau that reflect the local Māori culture and environment. The goal is to then teach these pūrākau to ākonga by weaving them into physical activity and games, creating rich, quality learning experiences grounded in te ao Māori, across the school community.
Connecting ākonga to learning and culture through poi and place
Recently, kaiako learned the story of Haunui a Nanaia and the origins of river names across Rangitīkei. These stories will be shared with ākonga through movementbased learning, strengthening their connection to place and identity.
Kaiako Kelly Pompey says the approach supports ākonga to connect with the area and their school, fostering a sense of connection and belonging.
“They know these places, but they don’t always know the background story pertaining to our rohe,” she says.
Tumuaki Matthew Bell says the professional development has added to his kete of knowledge and given greater purpose to the use of te reo Māori in the classroom.
The results are clear. Students are more engaged in learning, more active, more connected and normalising te ao Māori in the curriculum.
“These are not just stories – there are truths behind them, which has more of an impact on the students when they are learning about it,” he says.
Strengthening te ao Māori
Ākonga Ace said he likes learning Māori games with his friends.
“Ringa tahi is my favourite kēmu. I exercise my fingers and my brain. I like to challenge Whaea Delanie, but she’s gotten better. I need to keep practising,” he says. Classmate Payton says it’s not just about learning a fun game, but learning about te ao Māori.
“I like how I get to play games that I’ve never played before and learn about pūrākau. It doesn’t feel like learning, it just feels like I’m playing! Learning more Māori is good whether you’re Māori or not.”
This approach supports evidence in Sport NZ’s Active Bodies, Active Minds report, which shows that games and activities grounded in te ao Māori offer opportunities for cultural connection, belonging and dynamic ways for particularly tamariki Māori, to learn.
The initiative has also strengthened the school’s relationship with local iwi through Te Rūnanga o Ngā Wairiki Ngāti Apa.
“It’s massively important because a lot of the knowledge that is out there, you can’t attain it if you don’t have a relationship with iwi,” says Matthew.
The Rūnanga chief executive Grant Huwyler says schools are long-term players in the community and bringing pūrākau to life is good for everyone.
“We are a small iwi in a largely rural district, so we are able to get to know people through some of these initiatives with the schools. We are getting to know teachers and students,” he says.
“The hua for us is getting out there and getting known in our community as our Rūnanga grows. Sharing our stories with the community is a way of doing this,” he says.
“It’s that whole process of rauoratanga, bringing our stories back for our people and our community, to create an environment where our identity can thrive and contribute to our community.”
Kupu | Vocabulary
Poi toa: A type of poi used specifically in games
Rohe: Region, district
Kete: Basket
Ringa tahi: A Māori game (literally “one hand”)
Kēmu: Game
Hua: Result, outcome
Rauoratanga: Revitalisation
