Strengthening connections through physical activity
Strengthening connections through physical activity
In Te Tair膩whiti East Coast, more rangatahi are becoming physically active by strengthening their connections to culture, community, and te taiao.
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Tolaga Bay Area School and Kahukuranui, located on the remote East Coast, are among 50 secondary schools and wharekura supported by 爆料社区鈥檚 Active As programme. This initiative aims to enhance the wellbeing and learning of rangatahi by increasing their physical activity levels, particularly among those who are less active.
In November 2024, Tolaga Bay hosted a multi-day interschool sport and cultural event centred around one of the region鈥檚 founding p奴r膩kau (myths), Whakapaupakihi. This event was a response to the students鈥� request to bring together other wharekura on the Coast.
Whakapaupakihi is the name of one of Hauiti's (a renowned chief of Te Tair膩whiti) fishing nets and is significant to the people, and settlement of 弄awa. As the four other wharekura, each implementing their own Active As initiatives, were told at the event:
鈥楴ga Taiohi a Hauiti invite the uri (descendants) of these illustrious tipuna (ancestors) to participate in a sports and cultural exchange where we can celebrate our whanaungatanga (connections), our whakapapa (genealogy), and our tipuna.鈥�
Driven by the ideas and needs of rangatahi, the event planning involved regular hui with students whose input shaped both programmes. Wh膩nau were also involved, running activities, and helping with catering.
Activities at Whakapaupakihi included basketball, netball, tug-o-war, kapa haka, chess, waka ama, and surfing. The event also featured an overnight stay at the kura, a MasterChef competition, and a karaoke contest.
鈥淥ur whole purpose is inclusivity, ensuring everyone participating in Whakapaupakihi is engaged in one way or another,鈥� says Tolaga Bay kaiako (teacher) Shannan Gray.
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The event led to a notable increase in participation among less active students, including Mataria from Te Waha o Rerekohu Area School, who initially attended for the singing.
"I hate sports," she said. "I didn鈥檛 want to come at first because I thought it was just sports. But when I realised there would be singing, I came and ended up enjoying some sports too. It was fun, a win-win."
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Takikawa, a student from Te Kura Kaupapa M膩ori o Te Waiu o Ng膩ti Porou, highlighted the importance of connecting with other schools.
"You're one with the others, you know? You're not by yourself. You鈥檙e out there with each other, playing and singing together,鈥� he said. "That鈥檚 what whakawhanaungatanga is about: being together, catching up, and making new connections."
Kaiako Tania Adamson celebrated the opportunity Whakapupakihi offered to share resources and knowledge with other schools, particularly in waka ama, a significant part of their curriculum.
"As M膩ori people, we have a strong spiritual and physical connection to the water. Waka Ama and surfing get us out there and in the taiao," Tania says.
This aligns with 爆料社区鈥檚 findings that M膩ori students' sense of belonging and success at school is linked to their cultural identity and engagement with activities from te ao M膩ori.
鈥淩angatahi are our why, p奴r膩kau is the how, and the what is the events and activities that come from the centre outwards,鈥� says Darryl Crawford from Whiti Ora Tair膩whiti, the play, active recreation and sport organisation supporting Active As schools in the rohe (region).
Whiti Ora Tair膩whiti also helped to run a similar event 鈥� Te Kura o Te Ahupoo 鈥� with a cluster of schools in T奴ranga a few weeks earlier , also framed around a p奴r膩kau from their rohe.
Reflecting on the school鈥檚 involvement with Active As, Tolaga Bay Tumuakai (Principal) Nori Parata said her highlight has been seeing students push through their comfort zones to feel more confident.
Whakapaupakihi was just one of the initiatives that Active As has enabled for Tolaga Bay Area School. The school now has new swing sets and trampolines to encourage students to get active during breaks, particularly since the school cellphone ban was implemented in early 2024. They鈥檝e also partnered with the local surf club, Tai Ora, to support rangatahi with anxiety and behavioural challenges. Many students who previously did not participate in regular sport or exercise have now taken up surfing on their own.
Nori says the wairua (spirit) of young people on the East Coast continued to be impacted following Cyclone Gabriel and COVID-19, and supporting their whole wellbeing was key to encouraging them to be more physically active. She praised Active As, with its focus on enhancing the mana of rangatahi through their involvement in decision-making and building connections to whakapapa, as exemplifying this approach.
