Brightwater School win at Te Huinga Whetū

Ngāti Tama present taonga to first ever winners of the ‘bestwhakangahau'category fromTeHuingaWhetūFestival2020.

Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust presented the trophy to the first ever winners of the Best Whakangahau group from Huinga Whetū Festival 2020. The new category – best whakangahau –is an encouragement to students to rise, persevere and never give up and is being recognised with a taonga commissioned by Ngāti Tama ki Te Waipounamu Trust. Brightwater School are the inaugural winners of the kapa haka category The taonga, created by master artist

Brian Flintoff, is a pūmoana or pītātara made from a triton shell, wood, and feathers to represent the children of both Tāne and Tangaroa.

The name of the taonga is “Poutama”, and is to recognise the continual levels of learning, growth, and achievement in kapahaka.

In their first ever performance at the competition, Brightwater School won the non-aggregate category of best whakangahau group and is to encourage new groups to think about participating in the competitive section.

Brightwater school were unable to receive the taonga at the prizegiving on the day and Waimea College accepted the taonga on the school’s behalf.

Brightwater School students, teachers, Te Tauihu Cultural Council and Ngāti Kōata welcomed Ngāti Tama to the school for the official presentation of the taonga to students. The next Huinga Whetū Festival is set for 2021.

Mereana Anderson

Ebbandflowisacollectionofprojectsthatdocument andexploredifferentaspectsofpersonalwellbeing.

Mereana has unpacked notions of wellbeing and created a website exhibition to display alongside her colleagues, as a collective. Ebb and Flow, encompasses differing states of mental wellbeing. Ebb and Flow; the push and pull of water, promotes a metaphor for unpacking psychological mind states. This idea links the ocean to the everchanging high and low tides of experience. The journey of drug addiction and overcoming the compulsion is a narrative that is familiar to many New Zealanders. “Surfacing” examines the impact of illicit drugs on an individual and their Whānau. The documentary video represents a raw story which gives a voice to the people with first-hand experience. The story embodies a journey of recognition, submission and cooperation that is to conquer all the odds.

Documentary link: https://hjw09438.wixsite.com/ebbandflow project

Documentary Video Dedicated to Rosline Ellis & Paulie Anderson