Cobham students spend a day at Tuahiwi Marae
Over recent times, Cobham Intermediate has been building and establishing a relationship with Ngāi Tūāhuriri - the rūnanga which our kura is associated with. As a result they invited some of our māori tamariki to participate in a marae based school program at Tuahiwi Marae on Wednesday the 24th of August.
The day began with a pōwhiri, a māori welcoming ceremony which involved speeches, singing and a hongi between all the manuhiri (visitors) and the tangata whenua (hosts). Following this the students took part in a number of activities including learning new waiata (song), hearing about the history of Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Kaiapoi Pā, learning a pūrākau (māori legend) and finally writing and sharing their mihi (greeting speech).
The day ended with a tour around Kaiapoi Pā with one of the tangata whenua. This Pā was established by the first Ngāi Tahu ancestors when they settled Te Wai Pounamu (the South Island). It has a rich and captivating history of peace, prosperity, conflict and revenge which was shared with us as we walked about the Pā.
For many of our ākonga this was a novel experience and it was incredible to see them exploring their whakapapa and māori culture in such a powerful context. It is a day that many will not forget. Here are some comments from some of our ākonga who attended:
"Going to the Tuahiwi marae trip was an amazing, once in a lifetime experience. I learned so much about the māori culture, participated in a pōwhiri and had a fun time doing it too. We drew our own versions of a classic Māori tale and we explored the remains of an old Maori camp, hearing the stories of how the people would survive. We even learnt a new waiata. I know this is a trip I will never forget." Cameron Hewitt.
"I really liked the welcoming everyone gave us and how kind and generous they were to us. It was very different from other marae I have been to - it was warm and modern. We also had a choice if we wanted to take our shoes off or not. I really liked how we learnt something new like our mihi and the Pūkana game. I REALLY enjoyed learning about the history of the Pā and its gates - it was something I have never experienced before. Thank you Tuahiwi marae!" Relliy HolmesTePairi.
"Personaly I enjoyed the marae trip. While we were there we learnt more about māori culture, we wrote our mihi and listened to māori legends. We also visited and learnt about Kaipoi Pā and how life was back in the day. I also enjoyed the marae trip because it brought me closer to my peers and friends and hope that if there is another marae trip more people are able to come. I would strongly recommend it to all classes at Cobham as every child in New Zealand should know more about the land they are living in." Andrea Maro