Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air
Kura kaupapa students across Tairāwhiti have been benefitting from the new Te Kura o Te Ahupoo programme, which promotes physical activity and wellbeing.
Te Kura o Te Ahupoo cluster comprises Te Kura Kaupapa Māori (TKKM) o Horouta Wānanga, Ngā Uri a Māui, Whatatutu, Hawaiki Hou, Te Karaka Area School, Te Kura o Manutuke and Tūranga Tangata Rite. 
It is part of Sport NZ’s Active As programme, which supports secondary schools and wharekura in providing positive and inclusive active recreation and sports opportunities.
Sport NZ has invested $14.2 million into 50 secondary schools and wharekura to design and implement their Active As initiative through to December 2026.
“It is centered around the voices of rangatahi and is underpinned by Mana Taiohi, the principle-based framework that supports those working with young people,” Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti youth development adviser Iti Kahurangi Takurua-Keelan said.
“It acknowledges the mana young people bring or carry and actively work to enhance that,” Takurua-Keelan said.
Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti kaihautu rangatahi Tūhakia Stewart said they had seen a significant shift between inactive and active rangatahi.
“We aim to create opportunities for our rangatahi to bridge the gap through their own whakaaro and vision,” Stewart said.
“This is not a one-off event; it’s just the beginning.
“Te Kura o Te Ahupoo is a kaupapa driven by rangatahi voices. Through multiple wānanga and hui with the rangatahi, we have successfully brought this kaupapa to fruition and now we can build on the foundation that is now set.”
They aimed to connect all the students in a setting shaped by their imagination, Takurua-Keelan said.
“It’s important for every tauira [student] to recognise their inherent value and the significance of their whakapapa. By incorporating Ruapani into this kaupapa, we have fostered a shared sense of belonging through our tūpuna.”
The first day began with a whakatau (welcome ceremony) at Te Karaka Area school, where pūrākau (stories) was shared about tūpuna (ancestors) Ruapani, and the students played sports and games to promote whakawhanaungatanga (connection) among the cluster.
The second day was held at the House of Breakthrough in Gisborne where they learned more about Ruapani by creating skits that emphasised the importance of their tūpuna.
The final day was a round-robin of activities at Waikirikiri Reserve focused on movement and being active. These included a blind maze, popular North American game corn hole and a twist on rock-paper-scissors.
“While our rangatahi are very competitive, the focus was on participation as a group rather than on outcomes,” Stewart said.
The tauira said they would like more hui and kaupapa like this to continue building connections and relationships with kids from other kura.
“The direction of this kaupapa is firmly rooted in the voice and vision of the rangatahi,” Takura-Keelan said. “Their input drives this initiative, and what excites me most is seeing what our kids create and where they want to take it.”
A similar event is to be held at Tolaga Bay Area School and Kahukuranui in November. The two-day wānanga, titled Whakapaupakihi, will involve several East Coast schools.
Whakapaupakihi is the name of one of Hauiti’s fishing nets.
“The fish caught within this net was the catalyst for events that precipitated the divide between Hauiti and his tuakana Mahaki Ewe Karoro and Taua,” Stewart said.
“Hauiti remained in the Ūawa area, the descendants of Taua moved up the Coast to settle and establish Te Whānau-ā-Apanui, and the descendants of Māhaki settled in the Waiapu Valley, sometimes referred to as ‘Ngāti Porou tūturu’.”
Nga Taiohi a Hauiti invite the uri (descendants) of these tīpuna to participate in a sports and cultural exchange to celebrate whanaungatanga, whakapapa and tīpuna.
Matai O’Connor, Ngāti Porou, has been a journalist for five years and Kaupapa Māori reporter at the Gisborne Herald for two years.
