A special whakairo (Maori carving) group at William Colenso College is the perfect example of manaakitanga, says expert tutor Caine Tawhai.
The all-male group spends one day a week with teina (junior) and tuakana (senior) students working together to carve traditional Ngati Kahungunu designs on two pou (carved posts) that willadorn the school grounds.
Caine Tawhai, group tutor and local youth worker, said the programme fitted the theme of Maori Language Week to a tee.
"Manaakitanga is the power to nurture or to support, and that's exactly what we are doing here. We are supporting them by helping them now to get credits for their future, but in the bigger picture we are helping them to understand who they are for their future," he said. "I manaaki them by teaching them and they manaaki me by supporting what I do."
Mr Tawhai is a renowned local artist with expertise in ta moko (tattoo), whakairo and mau rakau (weaponry), and is using his knowledge of cultural carving and whakapapa to develop self-confidence and self-esteem in the students.
"These boys struggle in mainstream education so what we've done is incorporate their Whakapapa as a way for them to get credits and it's a success," he said.
"I think what the school is doing and what the school has done is ka pai by incorporating things of this nature.
"It shows a lot of aroha and respect for Maori and Maori education and is a strong reflection of where the future of te reo, tikanga and kawa (Maori customs and etiquette) are going, and how very important they are for Aotearoa in general."
The whakairo programme is part of NZQA Unit Standard assessments, and there is little doubt students will benefit from the guidance of Mr Tawhai, who has an impressive repertoire of commissioned work internationally, including ta moko for rugby stars Byron Kelleher and Aaron Smith.
