Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi - Manukau campus...

This Saturday, I'm spending time with my tauira (students) at Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi in Manukau with other Tikanga (Maori protocols) and Te Reo (Maori language) students and their kaiako (teachers).

It's a real privilege to be here because we were welcomed onto the campus with a traditional (contemporary) powhiri or Maori welcome ceremony and it was good for some of my non-Maori students to experience this important Maori ceremony.

As well as that, we had a very important guest speaker: Rereata Mahika speak about many different matauranga (Maori knowledge) of some ancient Maori knowledge and wisdom of old and the morning's session was on 'taiao' or the environment. 

 What's really interesting is that I studied for year through high school and then 5 years at Uni to receive a Master's degree in Geography (Human and Physical) and the interesting was that the information that I learned in this short time (and the times that I've listened to him earlier) are mind-blowing.

The reason why is, is that in days of old our tipuna/tu'ua (ancestors) were keen observers of the land, seas, winds, birds etc. and we are now only learning about how amazing their keen observations were in being able to survive without the mod-cons (modern conveniences that we take for granted today) i.e. that of WiFi, internet, social media, Zoom, Skype etc.

What we as indigenous researchers are learning is that what we are only now re-discovering is only the tip of the iceberg. It's been an exciting journey to take my students on and I know that everyone who is attending these classes are leaving that much more aware of how our ancestors were able to manoeuvre back then.

But it's inspiring to know that that DNA is still in our genes that we only need to pray, believe and begin to rediscover what we are quietly capable of despite or in spite of our Western education and knowledge.

I'm leaving even more inspired to know that although there is much more to learn that I've started on this pathway and that I'm sure it will lead my students also in knowledge that when you have a better understanding of our real history that nothing can take away that amazing history that we come from. 

Now to put it all in practice for next generations...