Te Puawananga is a weekend course on all things Te Arawa.
Te Arawa from far and wide, and those living in the rohe have come together to learn more about their origins.
About 80 people are expected to gather on the marae at Toi Ohomai to participate in Te Puawananga o Te Arawa, a weekend intensive course which begins today. TePuawananga o Te Arawa course is being facilitated by Te Ururoa Flavell, who said the course first ran about eight years ago but has been in recess for about three years.
"It's been reinstated because people have asked for it," Flavell said.
"There was a need for us to try to develop a cohort of people to learn about what makes us Te Arawa. The idea is to create an environment that's safe to allow us to do that and practise our culture without the fear of doing it wrong."
Over the next three days the attendees will learn waiata, karakia, whakapapa and te reo at Tangatarua Marae at Toi Ohomai. They are encouraged to stay on the marae is they can.
"The whole idea was to try to draw all of that next generation of leaders into a learning environment that allows them to kick start their journey or build on their journey of what makes them Te Arawa," Flavell said.
"The push is to ensure that everybody comes out with a knowledge of at least one waiata, at least one karakia, one genealogical line and has the opportunity to debate and discuss our culture."
Dell Raerino, Group manager of Te Kura Maori at Toi Ohomai (left) and Te Ururoa Flavell. PHOTO/STEPHEN PARKER
Dell Raerino, group manager of Te Kura Maori at Toi Ohomai, has done the course and will be attending as support again.
"I'm going as a staff member but also participating. Even the tutors and support staff are still learning and revisiting and revitalising all that knowledge but also looking to carry it on further," he said.
Raerino said the course, which will run again later in the year, was open to both those who identified as Te Arawa and those who did not.
"Part of what Toi Ohomai is about is inclusion. It's open to anyone who wants to learn about the Te Arawa history, waiata, karakia and whakapapa but particularly of interest to those who have that link," he said.
"If they are of Te Arawa descent it's good to make this connection. It's about strengthening the iwi and hapu and themselves in terms of Identity, knowledge of tikanga.
"For those who are not Te Arawa, it's about understanding the landscape where they're living."
Raerino said the course had been incredibly popular with more than 100 expressions of interest in a weekend. They came from Te Arawa living both in and outside of the rohe and from those who didn't identify as Te Arawa.
Te Puawananga o Te Arawa: - When: April 20-22, May 18-20, June 8-10 and June 29-July 1. - What: A course on Te Arawa te reo, waiata, karakia, whakapapa, karanga and whaikorero. - Where: Tangatarua Marae, Toi Ohomai campus - Who: Open to all. Facilitated by Te Ururoa Flavell with help from other Te Arawa experts.
