Poutoko's vision to establish a Tawhiuau-Aynu youth exchange has finally been realised!

2017 was the year we made contact with Biratori High School, and it was the first year of our student cultural exchange with Mizuki and Terusa coming to Murupara for three months. As well as being a great kaupapa for our uri to connect with our Aynu whanaunga, the exchange strengthened our relationshiop with the Aynu hapū of Nibutani, the hapū the two students belong to. 

This was a special huihuinga as it then lead to the next few wānanga we would have with the indigenous people of Aynu Mosir in the following years, in particular our whakautu with our four students from Te Rautāwhiri going over to Biratori High School in 2018.

During their three months here attending our Kura they were looked after by Te Rautāwhiri, and homestayed with a few of our whānau of the Kura. We shared with each other our cultures, learning and appreciating the different tikanga and traditional practices of our two iwi. 

It was an awesome time for our uri to get the chance to bond with youth from another indigenous people, an iwi we share a lot of our cultural revitalisation efforts with. We hope they had as much of an awesome time as we did, and we look forward to our next whakakotahinga.