Friday 6 October 2017

My Field Placement with Te Whānau o Waipareira - Part 2



By Sarah Wood, 2nd year MDP student

Rainbow in Waitangi
Waipareira is a fast-paced, high energy organization, so it’s not surprising to me how quickly the second half of my time with Waipareira went by. It was an absolute pleasure to spend these last three months here.

In addition to continuing my work on the literature review and other research activities, in the second half of my placement, Paige and I had the opportunity, thanks to some of our generous hosts at Waipareira, to travel throughout northern New Zealand. Being based in Auckland for most of the placement, it was wonderful to see some rural areas including Hokianga, Waitangi (where the Treaty of Waitangi was signed), Opononi, and the Waipoua Forest (home of Tane Mahuta pictured below). We had the privilege of hearing about each of these culturally significant and sacred areas from amazing people who call this area home.  


Tane Mahuta and me (if you look really closely) for scale
There was no shortage of opportunities to expand by knowledge of the innovative ways Maori have and continue to challenge the impact of colonialism. A key component of Waipareira is the use of te reo Maori (Maori language) and it was amazing to witness speakers of all levels utilizing the language on a daily basis. If you read about Indigenous language revitalization, you will most likely come across information about Maori language nests (immersion for young children). This in mind, it was humbling to work alongside both parents who were instrumental in establishing the first of these nests for their children as well as fluent speakers who were the first generation to attend. It was amazing to witness the pride taken in using and preserving te reo Maori for future generations and this experience has inspired me to continue working on Anishinaabemowin.

I am so grateful for this amazing learning experience and for our Waipareira whanau, and I hope to return to Aotearoa soon! 

Auckland from the top of the Sky Tower on my last day

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