Āe mārika, Tēnei Tōku Whare!

CLM’s Aroora team has just completed another successful year delivering the Tēnei Tōku Whare kaupapa, supported by Te Puni Kōkiri.

40 rangatahi were selected from three local schools in the Whangārei area which included; Kamo High School, Whangārei Girls High, and Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rawhitiroa.

Rangatahi were exposed to a series of wānanga throughout the year and were provided with Gym and Pool memberships at CLM’s Whangārei Aquatic Centre. They were also given appropriate kākahu (clothing) to ensure everyone could participate safely in the activities explored.

Wānanga included a range of modern takes on traditional activities, including; waka ama (outrigger canoe), kōpapa (river paddling), whakaheke ngaru (surfing), kaipara (athletic events), hīkoi maunga (hiking), papa retireti (mountain surfing), and puna kaukau (swimming). Alongside these activities, mātauranga specific to the realm that was being engaged in and pūrākau (cultural narrative) about Te Whare Tapu o Ngāpuhi (The Sacred House of Ngāpuhi) was shared with the rangatahi through the wānanga.

So that whānau, friends, and the schools could participate in the journey of our rangatahi, a series of short videos were uploaded onto the Aroora YouTube channel throughout the year.
To check some of these out, click here. 

On completion of the year’s programme, rangatahi were surveyed and the feedback was resoundingly positive. Everyone who participated in the programme reported that the programme positively impacted all elements of their hauora (tinana, hinengaro, wairua, whānau). Additionally, all rangatahi reported learning new mātauranga, tikanga, pūrākau, and, maybe more importantly, said they grew as a result of the programme. To hear from them directly, follow this link. 

To round out the feedback, great support was received from the three schools involved, with all of them signaling a wish to be a part of the programme next year. A snippet of their feedback below:

“The knowledge shared over the year was valuable and appreciated, and our students were able to incorporate their learnings into their kura mahi. Learning about Te Whare Tapu o Ngapuhi is a kaupapa that should be entrenched in all school curriculum. I am already getting enquiries from staff and students about next year's programme and hope that we are considered as a participating school for 2023.”- Ralph Ruka, Tumuaki tuarua (Deputy Principal, Whangārei Girls High School.

“Your inspiration and support have been embedded into our tuakana this year and it's been awesome watching them grow to aspire to be like you all. Thank you for the amazing mahi and time you have dedicated to our kura, this does not go unrecognised as our tuakana are now modelling to their teina. I look forward to seeing you in the new year with a new lot of tuakana. Mauri tuu, mauri ora, mauri ako!”- Kaharau Harris, Tauira, Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rawhitiroa.
With Te Puni Kōkiri recently confirming support for the programme again in 2023, the Aroora team are already planning an action-packed schedule for a new lot or rangatahi in the New Year.

For more on the Aroora kaupapa, check them out here.