Kirikiriroa Pā Sites
Cultural Narratives:
A cultural narrative recognises the historical relationship between the area and its mana whenua. It describes what is unique about the place and the people your school is part of. It helps build a common understanding of heritage, traditional and spiritual connections, and values.
“What this place is and what happened here not only tells the journey and settlement of the area, it also reveals how best to partner with the place and realise the potential of all who live here.” (Phoebe Davis)
The renaming of places was a conscious and deliberate act of colonialism.
Kirikiriroa History
This is another I created for kaiako to learn more about the history of their rohe.
There are pā sites all along the banks of the awa Waikato within the city boundary as well as the many more north and south.
This map has a lot of sites on it and takes about 4 hrs by bike to vist all of them (I know as I tested it!). The challenge was to visit just 7 of the closest ones and complete a team challenge at each one which meant they had to interact witht he kaupapa. Then they completed a creative challenge afterwards to show what they had learnt. However, uou could just use it to have a hīkoi along the awa Waikato and learn something along the way.
Wally Penetito talks about “Starting where our feet are” and asking ourselves “on whose land do we stand?”. It is important that people have the opportunity to tell their own stories and we have a responsibility to listen to them and acknowledge them, There is often a tension between anger and hope - one side remembers the suffering, the other side doesn’t know the real stories, or they are not interested or ambivalent which makes dialogue difficult. This means that there is an unsettled state of the relationships between Māori and Pākehā which is partly due to the stories that are not known or ignored or avoided by both Māori and Pākehā as a result of colonisation. Often there is a separation from our locality because most of us don’t know about where we are from (compounded for many of Whitiora tamariki because of their displacement - it will be important to consider how we navigate this. But maybe providing a connection with the place they are now will help?) For those of us who are privileged enough to know where we come from we have a responsibility to understand the part we play in maintaining or challenging the status quo. With knowledge comes power - what will we do with the knowledge we gain or already have to challenge ourselves and others to think differently?
Consider where the names in Kirikiriroa, Hamilton come from. We can start with Kirikiriroa, Hamilton itself. And what about Whitiora and its immediate surroundings? The street names in town and the reserve/park names. What stories do they tell? Whose stories do they tell?
How do we connect with the names of places ?
What do they mean to us as we grow up amongst them?
How do our experiences and knowledge of those names connect us and build relationships with each other?
Why were Māori names replaced by European names? Was this a deliberate and conscious act of colonisation?
What is the history of the name Kirikiriroa - what is the story that sits behind it? Why is Hamilton called Hamilton?
What is the significance of the places along the river? Where do their names come from? What are their stories?
Where do some of the street names in Kirikiriroa, Hamilton come from? Who are these people and what roles did they play in the development of Hamilton?
What is/has been the impact of hearing those colonial names all the time on the people of Kirikiriroa, Hamilton?
What does it matter?
What stories are there from this rohe that provide role models with qualities that we want our tamariki to aspire to? Could the sculpture Tongue of The Dog provide a starting point?
The story goes that siblings Tongariro and Taupiri mountains lived side-by-side until marriage to Pirongia took Taupiri away to her new home near Ngaruawahia. She soon became ill and despite trying to make her better Pirongia failed. Taupiri believed that only the waters of her homeland could heal her so she sent a message to ask Tongariro to deliver her his healing waters. Tongariro sent his faithful servant, in the form of a dog, to cut a pathway for the waters of Tongariro to reach Taupiri. It is said that the river widens and slows at Taupiri, so that she can still draw healing from its waters. The river became known as Waikato te Awa and its waters continue to provide life and prosperity to those who live amongst it today.
What do whakataukī and whakatauakī tells us about the rohe? Kirikiriroa was referred to by Kingi Tawhiao as the “smooth belly of Kirikiriroa, Its gardens bursting with the fullness of good things” See Waiata Tangi below.
This waiata tangi (lament) was composed by King Tawhiao in 1860. It illustrates the geographic landmarks of Ngaati Tamainupo, Ngaati Mahanga, Ngaati Wairere, Ngaati Haua, Ngaati Koroki, and Ngaati Mahuta2 , as sub tribes of the Waikato Iwi.
From Hamilton City Council Operative City Plan
He waiata tangi a Tawhiao
Ka titiro whakaoro au te riu o Waikato
Ahakoa ma te pupuri ia i roto te kapu o taku ringa
Me takamiri toona atahua
Tena etahi mea matomato ngawari
Kaa totoro atu au ki te tihi o Pirongia
Ahakoa ma te uhia me tiaki i toona matu i toku ake
Katea titia pewhea te pahu ma roto i te uma o Maungaatautari me Maungaakawa
Ngaa puke o oku ooha Te Awa o te ora ia piko nui atu te ataahua o te whakamutunga
Kaa whakawhiti au i te awaawa o Kirikiriroa o ngaa rauwiri i pai ana
Te renga o ngaa mea pai
Ki mua ki te waahi tuutakitanga ki Ngaaruawaahia
I reira kei runga i te tuuahu haumoko
Ka okioki au toku matenga
Kaa titiro ma roto i ngaa heke o Taupiri
Ki reira ki te waahi o ngaa hanga katoa
Tukuna tenei kingi kia haere mai
Na Tawhiao, c- 1825 – 1894 He kiingi tuarua
Tawhiao’s lament for the Waikato
I look down the valley of Waikato
As though to hold it in the hollow of my hand
And caress its beauty
Like some tender verdant thing I reach out from the top of Pirongia
As though to cover and protect its substance with my own.
See how it burst through
The bosoms of Maungatautari and Maungakawa Hills of my inheritance
The river of life, each curve more beautiful than the last
Across the smooth belly of Kirikiriroa,
Its gardens bursting with the fullness of good things
Towards the meeting place at Ngaruawahia
There on the fertile mound I would rest my head I look through the thighs of Taupiri
There at the place of all creation
Let the king come forth
Tawhiao c- 1825 – 1894 Second Maori King
We used another tool to set the challenges, that had points allocated to them for successful completion. It seemed like a good idea at the time but unfortunately 'Goose chase' had limitations with the free version. https://www.goosechase.com/ Fortunately, we had also created a Padlet as a back up, so teams were still able to complete the challenges.
