On March 19, 2024, fifteen Deaf and hard of hearing students gathered at Ātea a Rangi Educational Trust Park in Waitangi Regional Park, Hawke’s Bay, for our Keep in Touch (KIT) Day.

Ātea a Rangi is a star compass based on the traditional knowledge from ancient times in the Pacific. It is used to teach traditional navigation and tracks the movement of the sun, the moon and stars.  

We worked in small groups and had booklets to look at and identify different pou associated with the signs of the Māori New Year. They could connect their prior learning about the compass points when they saw the four pou.

After lunch, we went to Napier’s inner harbour to board the Waka Hourua. There, we learned about the names and different parts of the waka and the traditional navigation practices used to sail double-hulled waka to and around New Zealand in ancient times.

The highlight for all students was to handle the hoe and move it back and forth in the water while it was moored. They also liked seeing where the crew slept and the toilet! The crew members explained what is involved when the waka sets sail around New Zealand and to the Pacific Islands. We heard that the waka was heading out the next day to Nelson for Easter celebrations.

This KIT Day was about connecting with our local curriculum and learning about stories and Māori way of life in our local area.