Day 4: Hitting a High Note…

Activity 1: The Waiata - A Song in Your Heart

In the past, Māori would often use song as a way of sharing information or communicating emotions.  A waiata is the name given to a traditional Māori song. One of my all-time favourite waiata is Kia Paimarie. What about you?

Use Google to research traditional Māori Waiata. Listen to a number of Waiata and read the lyrics. On your blog tell us which one of the waiata you found you like the most. Why do you like it?

I like Poi-e because it really reminds me of the movie boy and thats the only traditional Maori song I know.

Activity 2: Acknowledging Ancestry

All of us are members of a family. Some of us have large families and some of us have very small families. When I have the opportunity to talk about my family and my ancestry I sometimes choose to use a pepeha. It is a very special way of identifying who I am and where I come from. There are many different versions of pepeha but most provide people with information about who you are and where you come from (i.e. your whakapapa). Use the template provided below to prepare your own unique pepeha. If you need help please watch this short movie clip on preparing a pepeha.

SAMPLE PEPEHA

Ko Mt Wellington te maunga / The mountain that I affiliate* to is…

Ko ? te awa /The river that I affiliate to is….

Ko Pate te waka The waka that I affiliate to is…

Ko Uiha tōku tīpuna /My founding ancestor is…

Ko ? tōku iwi          My tribe is…

Ko ? tōku hapu My sub-tribe is…

Ko Auckland, New Zealand tōku marae My marae is…

Ko Auckland, New Zealand ahau I am from…

Ko Mata, Samu ōku mātua  

Ko Samuel tōku ingoa. My name is …

When you have completed your pepeha, post it on your blog. You could even post a video of you reading out your pepeha.

Day 3: It’s All in the Family

Activity 1: The More, the Merrier?

In the 1800s, most families were pretty big. In fact, many parents had an average of seven to nine children.  Imagine that you were a child in the 1800s and you had nine siblings.

On your blog, please tell us how you would feel. Would you enjoy being a member of such a large family? Why or why not?

If I was in a large family I would feel protected. I would enjoy being a member of such a large family because you have older brothers and sisters and they will always be there for you.  

Activity 2: The Rules of Engagement

During the early years in New Zealand, men and women would often marry at a young age. Women were expected to have babies and remain in the home caring for their children. Few, if any, left home in search of work. Men, on the other hand, were expected to work outside of the home.

These days, we don’t have the same strict expectations about work. Girls and boys can choose their own path in life. In fact, I was lucky enough to go to university and to follow my dream of becoming a teacher!

What is your dream job? Draw a picture of yourself doing your dream job and post it on your blog. You could be a doctor, an actor or even a zookeeper! I have drawn myself taking a picture of a beautiful castle in Poland because I would love to become a travel blogger and photographer one day.

Day 2: It’s All in a Day’s Work

Activity 1: A House or a Home?

In the 1800s, most Māori lived in villages called pa. Each village had many buildings – kauta where people cooked, pataka where they stored goods and wharepuni where the Māori slept. A traditional wharepuni had a thatched roof and walls made of timber, fern, rushes, and bark. Look at the picture below of a traditional wharepuni. Does it look like your house?

On your blog, compare the wharepuni to your own home. What are two similarities and two differences between a wharepuni and your house?

Similarities-  

It's a house

People sleep in there       

Differences-

The door was small           

It's made out of timber, fern, rushes, and bark   

                                         

Activity 2: Setting Sail

The first settlers to come to New Zealand must have been really brave! They had to leave their original homes and sail thousands of miles across the ocean on a special boat called a ‘waka’ to reach New Zealand.

Imagine that you were on board one of the wakas. On your blog, write a short letter to a friend telling them about your voyage to New Zealand. In the letter be sure to tell them how you feel about moving to a new country. If it was me, I would have felt really nervous…

Dear Friend,

I am very nervous to come visit you in New Zealand, I would coming on a voyage to New Zealand and I will be a little bit scared because it is my first time a voyage.

Day 1: Arriving in New Zealand

Activity 1: The First Settlers It is widely believed that the first people to arrive in New Zealand came from Polynesia. Most historians believe that they landed in New Zealand over 700 years ago. Although they were originally from many different countries, these settlers learned to live together and, eventually, formed their own distinct culture known as ‘Māori.’  Māori have their own language, traditions, and culture. Follow this link to read a short story about a famous man in Māori mythology – Maui. On your blog, post three facts that you learned about this interesting man. What other stories have you heard about Maui? * Maui always wanted to go fishing with his brothers. * Maui wanted to prove his brothers that he was good at fishing. * Maui is the best fisherman ever.