HUMANS OF KAITAIA Focus on marae, church and education
I grew up in Ahipara, and was raised alongside my three sisters by my Aunty Meremere, and grand-parents Jack and Edith. It was a happy upbringing that had a lot to do with Roma Marae and St Clement’s Anglican Ma¯ori Church.
Meremere was a Maori Welfare Officer, a founding member of the Ma¯ori Women’s Welfare League, and started the first ko¯hanga reo in Northland at Roma Marae. We were raised in a family environment where education was highly valued and respected.
I attended Ahipara Native School. It amused me that we were called natives, as I wasn’t sure what the rest of New Zealand was. Marewa McConnell was our principal. She was the first Ma¯ori woman principal in the North. Marewa was special, because she allowed us to bring our culture into the classroom, and she ensured that our learning was interactive and fun. I appreciate now how influential she was in my choice of career.
Whaea Pare Nathan was appointed to Ahipara School in my last year there, and I particularly recall that the ballpoint pen was at the cutting edge of technology. We could finally ditch our leaky fountain pens, ink wells and blotting paper. We were the envy of the junior school, showing off our new pens.
For my college years, Mum wanted to send me to St
"I have fond memories from my years in education, especially sharing in the many proud academic, sporting and cultural successes of students. "
Stephen’s Ma¯ori Boys’ School. But I rebelled, and refused to leave my horse, Smokey, and my dog, Dash.
I recall the anxiety of purchasing and practising walking in my first pair of shoes in the lead-up to Kaitaia College. Once there I found myself in the same form class as William Tailby. We became school leaders and played together in the 1st XV. Little did we know then that we were to return years later as principal and deputy.
I began my teaching career at North Shore Teachers’ College in 1970, and was appointed to Awanui Primary school in 1973.
I have fond memories from my years in education, especially sharing in the many proud academic, sporting and cultural successes of students. On one occasion I accompanied our Kaitaia College kapa haka to the Polyfest Cultural Festival in Auckland. We were a guest school entrant in the Niuean section of Polyfest. We won five of the seven sections of the competition. The judges refused to believe there were no Niueans in our ro¯pu¯, only their teacher, Warren Tongiatama. We couldn’t get our heads through the door of the bus we were so happy with our trophy.
When my career brought me back to Kaitaia College as deputy principal I realised, with a little persuasion from Mum, that it was time to get involved in our iwi affairs. I have served time on the Aupouri and Te Tai Tokerau Maori trust boards, where I was able to give back to those who supported me through teachers’ college and university.
I think the marae has been and will always be pivotal in the wellbeing of young Ma¯ori learners, and it is important that the marae is accessible to them.
We must encourage them to learn te reo and to be proud and active participants in the life of their marae. It is their tu¯rangawaewae, and their point of difference in the world. The marae is the best place to experience wairua, whanaungatanga, manaakitanga, mauri and aroha.
Nothing can truly replicate the atmosphere of the wharenui, where learners are surrounded by walls that are adorned with taonga, with tupuna and history of the past.
It is within this Ma¯ori university that they can listen to and interact with kuia and kauma¯tua in their own school of life.