Cultural Capability with Southern GWN
Speaker: Charmaine Tukua
Host: Southern GWN
Venue: Spark Place, Turanga
Date: 27th August 2020
Attendance: 19
Charmaine Tukua presented a 'Cultural Capability' workshop that discussed ways to engage with local iwi, and provided opportunities to practice Te Reo. Charmaine teaches Te Tiriti workshops at Ara Institute of Canterbury. She is Kaiako for Te Reo and Te Ao Māori with over 20 years’ experience as an educator in the community and tertiary environments.
Following a warm welcome by Southern GWN Chair Jennie Farrar-de Wagt, Charmaine opened her workshop with her pepeha and a karakia. Her approach and style immediately created a space where people could practice speaking Te Reo without feeling self-conscious.
We worked together through the vowel sounds, and were invited to add our own Beyonce dance moves if we felt the urge. Incorrect (but frequently used) prounciation of local place names (eg Papanui, Akaroa, Aranui) was compared with correct pronunciation, which highlighted the beauty of Te Reo when spoken properly.
Government agency names in Te Reo were practised such as:
- Te Tari Taake
- Te Mana Ārai o Aotearoa
- Tāhū o te Ture
- Te Manatū Whakahiato Ora
- Hikina Whakatutuki
Is the name a long one that seems daunting to pronounce? 'Break it up, then add the flow'.
We discussed the meaning of our pepeha and whakapapa, and the value of these in Māori culture.
Charmaine emphasised the importance of, and differences between Mana Whenua (those with authority over the land) and Tāngata Whenua (people of the land). When engaging with Māori, relationships and communication must be reciprocal and genuine.
The workshop finished up with a challenge given to us for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week):
- Use a greeting and farewell in Te Reo in your day to day interactions
- Learn, embrace, and use the Māori name for your workplace for the week.
