Kāwai Kōrero

Our VPS cultural narrative journey

This website documents our journey in developing a cultural narrative at Victory Primary School.

This work started in 2020 with our Creatives in Schools project. Ākonga from across the school worked with local artist Maia Hegglun to create sculptures representing our school's identity and culture. The work and ideas of the tamariki inspired Maia's visual pepeha for our kura, which then led on to the development of our cultural narrative mural.

Here's some other work that emerged from our learning:

Students looking after Te Wairepo

Our Taurapa lights project

Artists: Karipa, Taimārino, Wiremu, Naydene, Jade, Arnikha, Marie, Emma, Hunter, Atarangi, Renee, Sunny, Hunter, Awatea, Paakira, Parehina, Claxton, Maraea, Nerehana, Jodi, Jose, Madalayna, Jenny, Abby, Elvie, Sumeyra, Bryony, Natalia, Hazel, Vera, Jake, Kaitlyn, Tracey, Ella, Rose, Sharlit, Philip, Deepika, Atuan, Hlang Hlang, Simone, Karol, Trisha, Gloriany, Didi, Tyson, Maisey, Serena, Samuel

Click image to view video from the event

Room 2 visited Ruma Pākohe and engaged with our school pepeha, creating artworks in response.

From Embracing Cultural Narratives:

A cultural narrative is the “stories that members of a culture measure their identities against, consciously or not. These stories partly control our options, but our choices and actions can also change these stories”.

For a school in Aotearoa New Zealand, embracing the cultural narrative of mana whenua represents a commitment to an enduring partnership that is built through open conversations consistent with two world views. It shows you recognise mana whenua and value their knowledge and ways of being.

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 those who live here.

A local cultural narrative may contain a range of things that mana whenua would like your school to understand, share and embrace. This could include:

whakapapa
significant sites, landmarks and geographical features
historical events
relationships with flora and fauna
local language
local stories, waiata, whakataukī, symbols.

In essence, a comprehensive cultural narrative can be a source of knowledge and innovation for everything a school wants to do to acknowledge and engage with mana whenua more effectively. It brings richness to what a school is trying to achieve and strengthens shared accountability.

Use the power of whakapapa to inspire and create a sense of continuity and self-responsibility. Use it to make kids proud of who they are, to understand their cultural advantages, and inherent capabilities. There is power in the strong heritage they belong to; there is greatness, innovation, resilience and strength in the stories of their tūpuna.