Tūwharetoa Cultural Knowledge Project
The Tūwharetoa Cultural Knowledge project commenced in November 2009 and completed its first stage in June 2012. The project is aimed at embedding Tūwharetoa cultural knowledge within the curricula of schools throughout our rohe.
Essentially the content of the Project is sustained by the generosity of Ngāti Tūwharetoa hapū. Six hapū made full contributions by way of wānanga to collect kōrero; editing and releasing agreed kōrero to the Kete Rauemi and hosting teachers on their home marae where the kōrero is delivered in its authentic context. Hapū carefully consider this process and are assured when they view the copyright sign on their documents.
The Kete has a timeless quality in our modern and often impersonal world. These types of considerations are essential in order to preserve kōrero for the hapū descendents to come. Māori values and principles permeate the stories hapū tell and the Project, with the formal Launch of the Kete at Waitetoko Marae on March 29-30th 2012, provided the opportunity to revisit real examples of these in the hope that they can be adopted or rekindled in individual’s lives. This is the cultural lens so often absent in classrooms today .
Placing cultural knowledge within classrooms is a way of assisting teachers to do what they do better. It is changing the way they teach, the way they perceive local and tribal landscapes. Ultimately it is changing the way they perceive Māori learners, where once the question may have been asked, ‘why do we need to alter our practice for Māori?’ to most recently, ‘how can we be better culturally responsive teachers?’
In working with principals, their staff and with kaumātua and hapū, the Project has a part to play in not only helping to bring Ngāti Tūwharetoa together but also unifying teachers and learners in a unique, innovative and rewarding way.
A total of 15 books, a teacher guide and USB were included in the first Kete Rauemi, four QBooks were also released in the Apple I-Store as part of the project. Hapū books are available to download here:
