Making iwi visible
You may ask, who is this ancestral figure standing before me? You may have recognised his face on the twenty-cent coin. Did you ever stop to think of the story behind this carved figure? Did you know he has a living whakapapa that flourishes today and was once revered for his fighting prowess and leadership? That his charisma is still as influential now as when he once walked the land?
Uia mai koia whakahuatiake ko wai te tupuna e?
Ko Pūkākī! His name is PŪKĀKĪ!
I gaze at him and I see my Nan. I look at him and I see my children. I touch him and I feel my mokopuna — those that are here now and those still to come. How can this be? Because he is one in a long line of tupuna I can exalt and lay claim to in my whakapapa. If there should be a hint of self-importance in proclaiming this, I confess it with undenied arrogance, and hope that all children of Māori descent can do the same with their tupuna. Why? Because not so long ago I was asked who was one of my heroes when I was at primary school, and sadly, all I could say was Christopher Columbus? Marco Polo? Auē!
They were some of the greatest explorers of all time when I was at school. We were told stories about their exploits, discoveries, and personal challenges. I did not know then that there were as many explorers and heroes in my Māori world of Te Arawa who could equal their heroism and self sacrifice. Navigators, architects, scientists, horticulturalists, builders, artists, and many charismatic leaders. Not surprisingly, there were just as many women as there were men. We had our own Queen Victorias, Queen Elizabeths, and Henry the Eighths!
As my tupuna were not exalted in the schoolbooks that I read, nor illuminated in the curriculum that served us, I did not realise my line of descent or its magnificence. We might have sung about some of our tupuna, but their stories were largely marginalised and invisible to us in class. A clear example: the Hauhau rebellion. I read, or maybe heard, that they were a band of armed rebels fighting against the government. In my head, Hauhau’s were rebels on the run. Hauhau’s were Māori. I was Māori. Being Māori was bad. I remember a sense of shame, but did not really know why. What I came to learn much later in life was the true reason for their rebellious actions.
I do not write this to pathologise past colonial injustices, or eulogise past legislative violations of the Treaty of Waitangi. Far from it! My deliberate act of facilitation? To ensure that you as an architect of classroom content ensure the authentic voice of iwi resonates in the curriculum that serves our mokopuna. Iwi are the keepers of tribal memory. Iwi are the guardians of knowledge for future generations. Iwi will future-proof our last bastion of truly being Māori — the marae. Your role in the classroom as an ambassador, a conduit, or a storyteller for iwi is critical in shaping mokopuna views of the world.
Riches, remembrance, reclamation
Committing energy to an iwi audit or an iwi environmental scan, can reveal rich resources lying in wait for their inclusion in the curriculum. The recovery and remembrance of hapū and iwi stories offer students opportunities to experience qualities like perseverance, courage, humility, resilience, sheer determination and compassion, coming alive in ancestral stories. Inspiration comes from knowing who you are, whom you represent, where you come from. Schools play an important role in sustaining tribal knowledge. This reclamation of stories, of language, of connection are needed now more than ever for Māori students to affirm their identity, to nourish and ground them in a fast-paced technological world. If you honour iwi in your curriculum, then hapū and whānau will follow. Make it your mission to illuminate iwi voice. Find out who the local hapu are, and how many mokopuna from these hapū attend your school, or are in your class. If we are proactively seeking ways to make whānau visible, then mokopuna will see themselves reflected in the content.
Whakapapa defines your unique place in the world. Drilled in me from a young age, each whānau gathering affirmed this over and over again. My Nan, the matriarch, referred to in our whānau as “The Sheriff”, never let us forget what her badge of honour said: Ngāti Pūkākī – descendant of Te Whanoa. I was a proud Māori at home. I was even prouder at the pā. My cousins could build tin boats that sailed on our lake. We were young entrepreneurs — performing haka on the doorstep of our whare tupuna to earn lolly money. We felt the independence of gathering koura and cooking our catch over an open fire. We were masters of our pā environment, yet at school, we left most of our Māori-ness at the gate and picked it up on our way out — maybe it was just me who felt this way in my early days at Primary.
Anyone can do it
I believe there are treasures in every iwi waiting for schools to see their worth. With a little investigation, imagine how richly resourced your content could be? In showing examples of what I found, I’m challenging you to go and look for resources in your own back yard. I’m sure you will be surprised at what you find. What might you discover sitting with your iwi? Your surrounding hapū? Your own whānau that might help resource your curriculum?
My quick hunt reveals…
Te Taumata o Ngāti Whakaue
Currently Te Taumata o Ngāti Whakaue have initiated a number of programmes to support schools, early childhood centres and whānau to be knowledgeable in the language, culture and identity of ‘Ngāti Whakauetanga’. Programmes range from Matakōkiri (a unique iwi based Science programme offered in the school holidays for descendants and their whānau), Rangihakahaka (designed to localise Ngāti Whakauetanga in to the school’s curriculum), Amohia (a Whakaue based literacy programme) just to name a few.
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Resource |
Some information |
Curriculum use |
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Te Rangihakahaka
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Te Rangihakahaka is a professional development initiative set up by Te Taumata o Ngati Whakaue with the express intent of educators implementing localised stories in to their programmes. Underpinned by Ngāti Whakaue identity, language and culture the initiative links directly to the vision of Ngāti Whakaue – Ngāti Whakaue iho, Ngāti Whakaue ake. |
Booklet with notes on signifcant landmarks, place names, geographical features, street names, and local maps. Also discusses possibilities for curriculum integration and the rationale for sharng Ngāti Whakauetanga. Images both historic and current give a sense of place and belonging. For:recording notes as people are taken on guided tours (hīkoi) of significant places by a knowledeable guide |
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Ngāti Whakaue
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A series of Early Childhood readers, written and published by Te Taumata o Ngāti Whakaue Iho Ake Trust. Contributed to by Ngāti Whakaue whānau, they are designed to celebrate Ngāti Whakaue reo, identity and culture. Images that are instantly recognisable and significant to Ngāti Whakaue flood the pages as a reminder of the pride in ancestral connection. Our people, our reo, our icons – proud mokopuna. |
Beautiful images with simple sentences in Te Reo o Ngāti Whakaue Māori that can be used as readers with mokopuna and whānau. Use with: How? |
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Ngati Whakaue – Te Arawa Writer’s Grant |
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Kepa Ehau
This book is not sold in shops. I hope it will one day |
Kepa Ehau me ōna Hononga’, penned by Rangitihi Pene is a biography of Kepa Anaha Hamuera Ehau of Te Arawa. One of the greatest orators in Te Arawa, the book chronicles his adult years, significant influences on his life and his gift to his people. Appendices offer the reader eight examples of Kepa’s eloquent orations and written examples from Kepa’s whakapapa book. He further discusses English devices and literary techniques that Kepa used to infuse his speeches with lore, tradition and imagery rich in metaphor and poetic technique. |
An amazing biographical resource rich with story, historical evidence and beautiful language excerpts. Rangitihi has included examples of Kepa Ehau’s oratorial pieces. Rich in metaphor and imagery they evidence craftsmanship at its best. Rangitihi offers an ananlysis of some of the literary devices used that illustrate assonance, metaphor, alliteration, biary opposites etc. How? – one example |
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Pou o Whakaue
Purchase from: Mc Cleods Booksellers Rotorua |
Written by Cyrus Hingston, Pou o Whakaue tells the history of eight marae of Whakaue: Te Papa i- Ōuru, Paratehoata me Te Kohea, Te Kuirau, Owhata, Hurungaterangi, Te Koutu-Tumahaurangi, Waikuta and Whakaue. It describes key ancestral figures, significant landmarks, the meeting houses, the people and their memories of the marae and relationships to the ancestor Whakaue and Te Arawa whanui. |
History of eight marae Use with: How? Kaiako and/or whānau in collaboration with local hapū/iwi, could build a bank of marae resources for each marae in the local area Guided tours of the marae |
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Mitai Rolleston
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‘Mitai Rolleston – He Kanohi Kitea o Ngāti Whakaue’ is beautiful tribute to the late Ngāti Whakaue kaumatua Mitai Rolleston who dedicated the last 25 years of his life in service to his iwi, Ngāti Whakaue. Collated by his daughter Toni Cummins, this book features memoirs and tributes from many of Ngāti Whakaue who he worked closely with as well and those whom he represented in his role as kaumātua. At the heart of this book is his unwavering love for Ngāti Whakaue reflected in the voices of the writers. |
Biographical account written in the words of the people – “Waiho ma te tangata e mihi” – Let others sing your praises Use with: How? |
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Other Publications celebrating Ngāti Whakauetanga |
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The Haane Manahi Story
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The Haane Manahi Story written by Paul Moon is a biography detailing the life of Lance Sargeant Haane Manahi of 28 Māori Battalion and his astonishing feats of bravery at Takrouna, Tunisia, during the Second World War. Recommended for a Victoria Cross by four Allied generals, including Freyberg and Montgomery, the book uncovers the events surrounding the Victoria Cross recommendation and its downgrading to a Distinguished Conduct Medal. |
Biographical accountof Haane Manahi’s life Use with: How? One story in the book talks about Haane seeing a ‘tohu’ of one of our Ngāti Whakaue Atua called ‘Makawe’. This story could launch stories of tribal ‘tohu’, kaitiaki and stories from whānau. It highlights the importance of spirituality and gives a lived example – something we don’t often see. |
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Pūkākī
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This story written by Paul Tapsell explores the legacy left by Pūkākī, an important chief of Ngāti Whakaue, a hapū of Te Arawa. This rich piece of history relates relevant whakapapa, history of his carving and as a featured exhibit in the Te Māori exhibition, his origins, how the carving was acquired by the Crown and how Ngāti Whakaue eventually regained it from the Auckland Museum.
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Biographical account of Pūkākī Use with: How? There are photo interviews with significant Te Arawa personalities of the time. Students could do the same to build a rich resource on one tupuna of interest to the iwi. |
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Other resources |
TV on Demand |
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Ngā mihi ki: |
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Discover the hidden treasures at your fingertips
- Check out if your local iwi have an education arm or an office where they may have some resources you could use, adapt or maybe suggest a network of people you could contact to resource your curriculum
- Check out TV Resources
- Radio NZ Archives Collection
- Local Authors and Historians in the area
- Local museum and libraries
- Hapu/iwi might organise waiata, reo, kawa and tikanga wānanga — attend if you can
- Your whānau and students are rich resources
- Iwi/hapū and whānau want to help — your sincerity will determine how much they share
Be the transformative influence to enable the integrity and beauty of iwi voices into the content of your teaching and learning programmes. Rich curriculum design inspires learning. Learning facilitates knowledge creation. Knowledge creation enables the mokopuna to tell the story in their words. You don’t re-interpret the stories to be shared — iwi, hapū and whānau define it for you. Your magic as a teacher rests in how you share it in a compelling way, you make iwi visible and alive in the eyes of the mokopuna.
“Until the lion can tell his own story of the hunt, the hunter will always tell it”
Maria Tibble
Latest posts by Maria Tibble (see all)
- 178 years of Treaty — What has been the intergenerational impact on your local iwi? - February 5, 2018
- Uia mai koia whakahuatiake ko wai te tupuna e? - August 24, 2015
- Hūmārie – an authentic response to cultural location - July 9, 2015
Tēnā koe e Maria mo tēnei tino taonga ki te iwi e ako ana i to tāua reo ataahua.
"Ka mau ke te wehi " Maria.Harikoa ana ki te kite me te rongo i tō reo pāoho.