Tihei: Rangatahi use ancient pūrākau to strengthen leadership skills

Rangatahi at their development programme, Te Pūtiki Wharanui.

Toi Matarua’s rangatahi development programme, Te Pūtiki Wharanui, saw more than 30 rangatahi Māori of Kahungunu and Rongomaiwahine descent advance their leadership skills through Mātauranga Māori wānanga and meaningful mentorship.

The authentic “by rangatahi, for rangatahi” initiative enabled indigenous youth to gain knowledge, skill and experience in modern and traditional Māori Kaupapa including rongoā Māori, Māori games, sports and mahi toi/creative arts.

One of the outcomes of the programme has been that the rangatahi leaders have decided to present what they have learned in a book they are developing to share with their whānau, friends and the wider community.

The book, titled Kia Whakatōmuri te Haere Whakamua, is a collection of pūrākau (traditional stories) and instructions for indigenous activities interpreted by nine of our rangatahi leaders that captures some of the rich learning gained over the course of the six-month programme.

These rangatahi are developing something unique which young Māori can pick up and engage with to learn more about their culture.

This exciting journey also inspired some of our rangatahi to become more involved in the rangahau or research arm of Toi Matarua mahi, with one rangatahi in particular delving into the meaning of the book’s title.

“In my research, I learned that ‘Whaktōmuri te Haere Whakamua’ means to look into our past to assess how and why things were done for our betterment, for our day, and for our communities. It means positively looking and learning to pick up from where we left off so we are sharp and ready,” rangatahi leader and author Nikora said.

“I believe that we need to follow the right path to reach our goals.

“We can reach our goals by learning from our kaumātua, whānau, and even our rangatahi and tamariki.”

“What we learn from each other can be put into our kete mātauranga so that whenever we need it, we have it locked and loaded so we get on the right path and walk our way up to the top.”

The process of writing the book itself has been yet another opportunity for the rangatahi to develop life-long skills.

“I enjoyed writing a story for the book about Kī-o-Rahi because it made me feel more connected to my Māoritanga,” rangatahi leader and author Tuarea said.

“Knowing I have something that I can connect with in terms of tākaro Māori (Māori games/sport) really helped me develop a sense of belonging in the Māori world view.

“Learning and knowing the whakapapa around the game itself made me realise that it’s tikanga and there are many ways to play the game whether it be for fun or to be competitive.

“I will keep these stories and their lessons in my kete for the future.”

“These pages exemplify the magic that happens when rangatahi are given the space and resources to wānanga and share their valuable insights,” founder and director Charlizza Matehe said.

If you are a young person based in Hawke’s Bay or have a young person in your whānau you’d like to get involved in Toi Matarua kaupapa, you can get in touch with us via their website, www.toimatarua.com