ARA Journeys took 14 Year 5-6 students through a process of discovery and expression of cultural identity using knowledge shared by Patuharakeke Te Iwi Trust Board. Pūrākau (stories) were shared at the marae and included the pūrākau of the pou which indicates a rahui at the nearby beach.
our place
Ruakākā School is a place where the emphasis is on providing a holistic programme in an environment that stimulates and challenges our children both physically and academically. The school culture we provide caters for the emotional, social, physical and spiritual needs of our children.
We are a Positive Behaviour 4 Learning (PB4L) kura with a strong focus on positively promoting and teaching our SHINE values.
Our kura has a strong, valued partnership with whānau, hapū, local community and Patuharakeke marae.
our stories
The learning began with a visit to Takahiwai, our local Marae, where Ari, Lenny, Lisa and Hollie talked about the Pou at the marae and on the beach at Ruakākā. We learnt about the various reasons why rahui are implemented.
Class discussion and research:
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rahui and respect for kaimoana and plantlife
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concepts of the living world, local history, the impact of people and the environment on social development, citizenship and governance
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mana-whenua and their guardianship of stories
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the significance of the place
Students hear stories at Takahiwai marae
our mahi
Over a one and a half day workshop Tania Coutts and ARA Journeys creative Ben Kenobi, led the students through an iterative process focused on the creation of a single character or event the students selected from their favourite part of the stories.
“Tuwhiri in Schools empowered our ākonga to turn their learning about local stories into AR art, bringing their creativity to life in our local community and providing a unique opportunity for whānau to engage with their children's work in an interactive and innovative way, deepening the connection between learning, culture, and place.”
- Tania Coutts (kaiako)
Students received hands-on experiences creating their own interactive augmented reality art. Each workshop is guided by an experienced learning designer and creative practitioner using industry best practices catered to adjust to different learner types.
Students develop ideas using the Tuwhiri in Schools worksheets.
Our process:
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using our Insta-Pou rapid prototyping techniques students experimented with visual art techniques to reflect on and interpret ideas taken from the marae to quickly mock up AR pou within the first few minutes of the workshop
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we discussed metaphor how to express ideas with imagery around the rahui such as shelfish, kaitiaki and kai moana
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develop ideas through iterative process
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communicate ideas through the design of in-game 3D textures and shaders
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understand how our art is used in the production pipeline and assigning visual effects
our creations
Students worked individually to create pou using mixed media 2D physical artwork scanned in to the app and texture effects.
"It's cool to see them use their imagination in a different way with technology."
Shannan (parent)
Students involved: Aria D’Ath, Nate Tanner, Mahalia Hobson, Phoenix Lewin, Maddox, Jenna, Kora, Kanin Ferreira, Reade Murrie, Brendan Shandil, Freedom Poutai, Amelie Kenobi, Ruby Folley, Lincoln, Evie Webb
The pou will appear as augmented reality models in the Tuwhiri app in 3 locations near Marsden Point and Ruakākā beach soon.
App available now on Google Play and iOS.
Student work on location at Ruakaka Beach.
On the front I have drawn Ruamoko - Atua of earthquakes and volcanoes - fire and lava and stuff like that. You can see in my drawing lots of rocks erupting out of the volcano and fire too. I have taiaha on the sides, taiaha were used for war and now we use them for haka. On the back I have drawn the stars of Matariki as these are for the Māori New Year and this is important to my whānau. The kiwi is a native bird to Aotearoa, I’ve only seen one before, and I have seen an egg that is about to hatch at the zoo in Auckland. At the bottom I have got a warrior, it could be one of the warriors from the pou at Takahiwai Marae.
- Nate
I have drawn Tūmatauenga, the Atua of War on the front of my pou. He is holding a taiaha. At the marae they talked to us about the wars at Takahiwai and the weapons and tools that they used. They found some pou buried in the mud and now they are on the wall at the marae. On the top of my pou I have patu they were also used as weapons in the war. Today we can use them in haka and even decoration. On the back I have drawn another Atua to represent the importance of them for Māori. I have tuna at the bottom, they are really slimy and slippery and I have caught them in a stream with a hīnaki (net). On the side of my pou I have the hoe, the paddle that was used to paddle the waka.
- Phoenix
On the sides of my pou I have drawn koru, I like the pattern of the koru. On the front of my pou I have the stars of Matariki, a Maunga and a kete for collecting kaimoana. At the Marae they talked to us about the rahui on kaimoana in Te Rerenga Paraoa, the Whangārei Harbour. There is a rahui on pipi and kutai (green lipped mussels) because they are dying and scientists are trying to work out why. On the back of my pou I have drawn some Māori designs including Tamanui Te Rā, the Sun and some feathers.
- Freedom
On the front of my pou I have drawn Tūmatauenga, the Atua of War. On the side I have the taiaha which is a weapon they used in the wars. On the back of my pou is Tangaroa, the Atua of the Ocean, and Te Waka o Rangi, the waka. There is also Tawhirimatea, Atua of the winds. There is a net at the back of the waka under the stars. Te Waka o Rangi is led by Taramainuku who casts the net down to earth to gather our whānau who have died in the previous year. On the ground is Papatuanuku (Mother Earth).
- Reade
At the front of my pou I have Takahiwai Marae, this Marae is special to Ruakākā School because is is our local iwi, Patuharakeke. We went to the Marae to learn about our area and the ancestors of our area. I have decorated my pou with harakeke (flax) ferns and a Punga Tree. Many years ago there was a rahui on harakeke in Takahiwai because they needed time to grow. I have drawn koru patterns on the sides of my pou as they are a special pattern. We saw 3 pou on the wall at the marae that were special for the marae. They were found buried in the mud on a farm.
- Kora
I have a sun, Te Ra, floating in the air. I have a bush on the ground that represents harvesting food. On the front of my pou is a kete filled with pipi but the pipi is sick. At Takahiwai Marae they told us about the rahui, the rahui is for pipi and kutai. Lots of our shellfish are sick and are maybe moving onto other species like snapper. Scientists are trying to work out why, it may be because of global warming and our oceans getting warmer. I have Christmas type designs on my pou, I wanted to go towards a little bit of war and I remember that one of the wars went through Christmas.
- Amelie
On the front of my pou I drew the sneaky warrior who was really quiet and could sneak up on waka and flip the waka without anyone knowing. He has a patu in his hand and it represents bravery. I also have a waka on the front and all of the different weapons and tools that Māori warriors used. On the back of my pou I have the Māori flag, the United Tribes flag. There is a swamp with a pou in it. At Takahiwai Marae there are 3 pou hanging on the wall, we learnt that the pou were found buried in a swamp on a farm in Springfield. I have three floating images, one is a flax leaf, the harakeke, one is fire and the other are water drops.
- Kanin
On the side I have drawn harakeke (flax), the Māori make lots of stuff from harakeke and in the old days there was a rahui on flax at Takahiwai so it could grow lots. I have 3 objects floating - more harakeke and I also have the Māori flag. On the front of my pou I have the waka, we heard a story about a sneaky warrior who could hide in the water and flip the waka without anyone knowing he was there. I have drawn a pa site on the side of the Maunga (the Mountain) where the Māori people lived. I also have the sun with a Māori design on its face. On the back of my pou I have Takahiwai Marae, which is the closest marae to Ruakākā School. I also have all of the tools and weapons that have been found buried in the mud and swamp. These were the tools and weapons that the Māori used.
- Lincoln
On the front of my pou I have drawn the sun, the heat waves and the desert. On the back there is the moon, the ocean with te wheke, and the sea creatures who live in the ocean. At the marae they talked about a disease that is killing our kaimoana, our pipi and our sea life. It may be because of global warming and the sea getting warmer. The population of our kaimoana is getting less as people are taking them and they are also sick. We need to take care of our sea. My floating objects represent the sea, global warming and the seaweed.
- Brendan
I have drawn two taniwha faces and a basket of kaimoana (pipi and kūtai). When we at Takahiwai Marae they told us stories about how sick our kaimoana are getting in the Whangārei Harbour. There a rahui which means we can’t collect kaimoana. There are scientists working to find out why. On the back of my pou I have drawn the Matariki cluster of stars and a village below looking up at the stars. I have also drawn a marae. At Takahiwai Marae there a lots of photos of all the people who have passed away as well as 3 wooden pou. I have also drawn a taiaha that was used as a weapon. This is next to the flax, the harakeke. The flax is used to make kete- baskets.
- Jenna
When we went to Takahiwai Marae we heard a story about the 3 pou hanging on the wall. They found them buried in the swamp at Springfield. Each of the pou were carved differently. I have taken a piece from each pou to put on my pou. On the front is a type of musical instrument, a flute that one of the warriors was holding. On the back is a patu, a weapon that the other warrior was holding. I have lots of koru designs on my pou, this is a design I like to draw, I draw these for my Aunty to as she has passed away. I decided to put mine on the pou.
- Mahalia
On the front of my pou I have drawn tools and weapons, the sun and the sky and a waka. I remember the story of Maui catching the sun. I remember the story of Kupe travelling in a waka and finding Aotearoa, New Zealand. The Māori people used taiaha and patu as weapons. At Takahiwai Marae we saw three pou on the wall, these pou had been found buried in the mud on a farm.
On the back of my pou I have Mt Manaia which is very special to the people of Takahiwai Marae and Patuaharakeke. I have drawn Takahiwai Marae, it is the closest marae to our school. The bottom picture shows food buried under the ground, a hangi which is a feast that the Māori people like to eat. I like kumara and chicken cooked in the hangi.
- Maddox
We were welcomed onto Takahiwai Marae and I have drawn the entrance to the Marae on my pou. At the Marae we learnt about how our pipi are disappearing from the harbour and that they are getting sick. Our local iwi have put a rahui on collecting pipi while they investigate what is happening to them. I have drawn a kete with pipi in it, On the back of my pou is a big piece of greenstone, pounamu.
Floating in the air above my pou is the stars of Matariki and on the ground is a bush.
- Evie
On our visit to the marae we learnt about pou. We learnt about the rahui in the Whangarei Harbour - especially for our pipi. On my pou I have used lots of different Māori art. A Taniwha, Marama (the Moon), Mt Manaia, koru patterns, the Māori flag, pounamu and the clouds. Mt Manaia is the mountain that we see from our school and it is important to Patuharakeke,
- Aria
