Learning through connection and observation

Rāwiri Taylor reckons that full immersion in te taiao (the environment) is the best way to learn about kaitiakitanga (guardianship).

Rāwiri, a kaiako/tutor with the Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology, recently took a group of Indonesian students from NMIT’s Horticulture programme to Marahau to observe and learn about the seashore environment and broad Māori concepts.

The learners make up half of the 2024 cohort of IISMA (Indonesian International Student Mobility Awards) scholars, who are supported by the Indonesian government to study at NMIT for the year.

Rāwiri not only shared his knowledge of the environmental factors contributing to a healthy seashore, he also introduced the learners to concepts of tikanga Māori (practices) and the importance of respecting and protecting the land from a cultural perspective.

The group began their hikoi at the waharoa (wooden carving at the entrance) to the Abel Tasman Track. The carvings and the adjacent plaque share the story of the mana whenua (local Māori people) which Rāwiri says is a very valuable asset and aid to teaching.

“It provides a mana whenua presence and demonstrates how kaitiakitanga is essentially an expression whakapapa and ancestral obligation,” he says.

“We began with a mihi (greeting) to the atua of the domains we were entering and acknowledged the mana whenua as kaitiaki. With karakia, we declared our intentions and desire for safety and learning.”

They then made their way along the Marahau shore, learning the concepts of taonga tuku iho (treasures handed down) and tohu (indicators). By observing the water clarity, marine life, and birds, they could see the many signs of a healthy seashore.

“It was wonderful to observe the whanaungatanga (connecting) and ako (learning) that happened naturally by just engaging in te taiao,” says Rāwiri.

“We also learnt about the concept of tukua (giving back) and scoured the shore for rubbish but we found none, it was so clean.”