When speaking with Riverview School teacher Samantha Roessler, one thing is obvious: her deep passion for history. Originally from South Africa, Samantha moved to Kerikeri in 2006 and has since developed a keen interest in the diverse migration stories of Te Tai Tokerau. Her focus on inquiry-based learning has brought local and national histories into her classroom, helping students to engage with their community’s past in a meaningful way.
It is clear why she is the school’s representative on Te Pūherenga, a rōpū dedicated to creating a lasting legacy for ngā tai tamatane me ngā tai tamahine (ngā rangatahi) o Kerikeri.
For the project, Ngāti Rēhia are working alongside a group of history experts and teachers from Kerikeri High School, Kerikeri Primary, Riverview Primary, Bay of Islands International Academy and Harvest Christian School, with the aim of incorporating mātauranga Ngāti Rēhia together with the taonga of the hapū’s precious stories.
Matua Taua Kemp (Ngāti Rēhia) is a teacher and kaumatua of Kerikeri High School. He has dedicated a lot of his time to Te Pūherenga.
“It’s important for Ngāti Rēhia to be able to tell our stories in our manner, with our understanding,” Taua explains. “We want to ensure that from school to school there is consistency about Ngāti Rēhia history, and Ngāti Rēhia future aspirations as well.”
The full name is ‘Ko Te Pūherenga, He Pourewa Hei Huri Ako Ia Au,’ which translates to mean, ‘Connections to the past protect our identity.’ This builds on the foundational takutaku, which is the basis of the localised curriculum they are writing, called Ko te Timatanga o Te Ao.
The curriculum units are being fully resourced with mātauranga from Ngāti Rēhia and will be accessible via a Google site for all teachers in the Kerikeri area. Each unit will have a lesson sequence, resources, activities and supporting information for teachers.
Samantha highlights the importance of professional learning development (PLD) as part of the group’s mahi to ensure the resources are used correctly. All kaiako will need PLD so that they understand how to use the information that is being shared and aren’t just “putting their hand into a lolly bag and taking out what they feel like they want to do.”
The rōpū is still in its early stages, and they are being careful not to rush things.
“Getting these stories recorded is going to be quite important,” shares Samantha. “We’re starting with the pepeha of Ngāti Rēhia and all the places of significance, so that we can get to know what the boundaries and why those places are significant to Ngāti Rēhia.”
One of the aims is for tamariki to better understand their tūrangawaewae, and the significance of the places they are growing up in. “They might go to the beach, but they actually don’t know anything about it,” says Samantha. “Or they go to Puketī forest, but they just know that it’s there.”
“A strong point is connection,” agrees Taua. “How the connection for people to places is established, and from there we can start the kōrero.”
“But it is not just about the history,” continues Samantha. “Like in the Treaty of Waitangi, it is about the protection and the participation and taking care of it going forward. The project is a taonga. It’s not just about the past, it’s about the future.”
Collaboration is key for Te Pūherenga and its future. “It is exciting to be working with very passionate people to be able to get the kaupapa within our area consolidated,” says Taua. He hopes their work might act as a blueprint for other hapū, iwi and kura throughout Aotearoa to enable their stories to be told.
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