Symposium proves life changing event
Four students attend national Te Rangita¯ miro
Four Te Puke High School students have found inspiration at a national symposium. And one believes the experience may have saved him from a life of gang involvement and prison.
Year 10 students Karaitiana Mahanga, Sienna-lucy Tuanau, Bella Ngawhika and Pamana Jones attended the national Te Rangita¯ miro (meaning to twist together or bind) in Wellington after attending a Te Rangita¯miro summit hosted by the University of Waikato.
Te Rangita¯miro is an opportunity for Year 10 Ma¯ori students to explore three big ideas in global citizenship education: whiria (identity), paiheretia (connections) and rukuhia (creating a legacy).
The programme’s aim is to inspire and empower rangatahi to be active indigenous members of the global community, by providing spaces for rangatahi, alongside their kaiako, to engage in opportunities with local iwi and other indigenous communities and cultures in the Asia-pacific region.
Te Puke High School’s Ma¯ori student mentor Te Whetu Hawera, who also attended the symposium, says it was the chance of a lifetime for the students.
“The opportunity came to us via careers and was then handed to teachers in the school. I referred two of the students to [teacher] Rochelle [Owen] and two other students were selected from the school,” she says.
Bella says the symposium was all about being a global citizen as a young Ma¯ori student.
“There were a few speakers who were real cool and heaps of workshops,” she says.
“From the speakers we got that being unapologetically Ma¯ori and being Ma¯ori is our super power and we should use that to empower us; don’t be whakama¯ (embarrassed) about showing your culture, you’ve go to embrace it.”
Karaitiana says he made “heaps of new friends”, some from the Bay of
Plenty, others from Christchurch.
“They were cool as and we got on easy as.”
He says he learned more te reo Ma¯ori and also learned how to be an entrepreneur through some of the workshops.
He also enjoyed experiencing Wellington at night.
Sienna says she believes the symposium has made her a better person, that she learned more about herself and her culture and that it also helped her have a better idea of her future once she leaves school.
“I want to go to uni when I finish school and travel around.”
She says those were already aspirations, but the symposium made her believe there actually was a pathway available to her, especially when she heard about the Prime Minister’s Scholarship.
“We got excited because Sienna was always talking about these Asia Pacific contacts and that’s what this [symposium] is all about, building those relationships, but then they found out you had to be 18 [to apply for a scholarship] — but it was something they learned about,” says Te Whetu.
Sienna says the symposium made her realise being Ma¯ori is nothing to be ashamed of.
“You can actually go places.” Bella says there is no such thing as a stereotypical Ma¯ori.
“You are what you want to be,” she says.
Pamana says he discovered a lot about what his ancestors had gone through and he saw the symposium as a turning point.
“I have been suspended a couple of times and been on my last warning a couple of times, but I feel like I’ve changed a bit — changed in the right direction.”
Karaitiana, who was brought up in Australia and has been in New Zealand for three years, says he felt what he learned could help start a new part of his life.
“For me, I was quite a troubled kid last year and I reckon my future was probably going to be being in a gang and going to prison. This has been a big change for me.”
Rochelle says all the students supported one another and the symposium unlocked their belief in themselves.
“As we were leaving, Karaitiana went around to shake everyone’s hands. He went up to the boss, the big boss, the big, big boss, the vice chancellor of Waikato University and the guest speakers.
“That was a big turnaround [for him]. He wasn’t asked to do it.”
She says it was significant that the students were appreciative of the opportunity they had had.
“Seeing their journey from last year to this year has been huge.
The students have been sharing their experiences since they returned and, with wha¯nau accompanying Karaitiana and Pamana, the experience has also impacted on family.