3 minute read

Cultural Identity and Connectivity/Leadership

Connectivity

WHAKAPAPA WĀNANGA - JULY 2019

Advertisement

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa are championing te reo at all their wānanga and the Whakapapa Wānanga was no exception. 37 People registered to learn about Ngāti Awa whakapapa. Recognised whakapapa exponents, provided participants with various whakapapa showing the main Ngāti Awa ancestors and their links to the 22 hapū ensuring that uri are cognisant with their unique Ngāti Awa identity.

KARANGA WĀNANGA - AUGUST 2019

Dr Agnes McFarland shares her matauranga explaining some of the nuances of karanga which help karanga vibrant and rich. Along with various kaikaranga in support; these wānanga are a continuation from last year. With the help of various kaikaranga matua wānanga such as these will continue to support those aspiring how to not only to execute karanga but also to compose. For some this was their first karanga wānanga.

NGĀTI AWA TE TOKI - OCTOBER 2019

With each Festival there are new people and more kapa haka entering to perform. Ngāti Awa Te Toki is a meaningful pathway to connect uri with their whānau, hapū and peers. Underpinning Ngāti Awa Te Toki is our cultural identity and connectivity which includes normalising te reo Māori and using te reo as the main medium of instruction. The organisers; Te Ahi Kā worked with Parakore to not only keep our festival cleaner but also to educate them people on how to recycle correctly. New to Ngāti Awa Te Toki the Tautohetohe Competition, show-cased some of our seasoned Ngāti Awa Māori language speakers. THE ART OF TAUTOHETOHE WĀNANGA - SEPTEMBER 2019

This was the first time Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa has implemented this type of wānanga. The main intention of the wānanga was to support the pilot ‘tautohetohe’ that was to be held at Te Toki Kapa Haka in October 2019. However, these wānanga are also designed to help our people with their tu pakari or their confidence when speaking Māori, particularly on their tūrangawaewae.

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Awa will be running another similar wānanga next year.

Including our kura in our Treaty of Waitangi Commemorations is another path to ensuring future leaders are nurtured and developed so they have the confidence and ability to lead into the future. It is also a meaningful forum for Ngāti Awa to stand tall and celebrate their Ngāti Awatanga.

Professor Linda Smith gave a thought-provoking lecture on futurizing Ngāti Awa. The audience was also treated to rangatahi presentations by Head girl Te Waikamihi Lambert (photographed here) and Kate Gow. from Whakatāne High School who gave moving speeches about ‘true partnership’ racism and ‘protecting our future’. You can watch the 2020 Ngāti Awa and Treaty of Waitangi at www.facebook.com/TeRunangaoNgatiAwa

PROMOTING TE REO MĀORI

Regeneration and repatriation of Te Reo ō Ngāti Awa is at the forefront of our cultural strategy.

Ngāti Awa videographers ‘Aorewa Creative’ were commissioned to make a reo Māori promotion kiriata/ video featuring different hapū members at their various levels of reo competency in the video our people explain why learning te reo Māori is important to their development. Some footage can be viewed on our website. Footage was compiled from one of our actual Creative Reo Wānanga which was held in Matata. Some the participants photographed here in the Toi waituhi/creative art workshop. TAIOHI/RANGATAHI: GROWING YOUNG NGĀTI AWA LEADERS: TAIOHI MOANA - DEC - JAN 2020

The aim of this programme was to grow young Ngāti Awa leaders in the marine environment and in turn support whānau, hapū, iwi and kaitiakitanga and the regeneration of our cultural and customary foodgathering practices. All students learnt to identify and record various marine species within the Ngāti Awa rohe moana. There was a 100 % success rate for the completion of SSI international Freedive Certification. Two pakeke also completed the course. Two of the taiohi are going on to train as Marine Biologist. One of those taiohi has secured an internship with Bay of Plenty Regional Council starting in November 2020 doing among other things marine monitoring work.

This article is from: