This is an excerpt from an upcoming eBook and collaboration by Aroha Puketapu with Graeme (Kereama) Smith. Watch this space for more…!
Maori culture and church culture
In this place, we leave our culture at the door and adopt a new one.
I was told this by a well-meaning, non-Māori Christian leader upon entering the church.
I wondered what was wrong with the one I had.
This was very different from the Māori Anglican hahi I grew up in as my form of church at the marae.
But what was this culture?
The assertion that I should leave my culture, my way of being Māori…culture, something that I saw as an extension of my existing spiritual being, at the door to this church seemed strange to me.
This is not a discussion of what religion is right and wrong. Or about which denominations are better or worse.
This is a discussion of identity and my personal experience and conversations with Io Matua the Supreme Being or God my Creator and as a follower of his son Ihu Karaiti.
So I asked another question.
“If my culture is so wrong then can you please show me what is wrong with it?”
After a long while the response was:
“What was the first thing I said to Mohi?”
I was surprised to get a response and quickly looked it up in the Old Testament.
Again, surprised I replied, “You told him to take off his shoes and said you are standing on holy ground.”
Then he went on to say this:
“What is the first thing you do when you enter the wharenui?”
I replied, “You remove your shoes.”
Peace overcame me and I sat enjoying this revelation or return ki te Ao Marama.
Later on, I decided to check in with my father and ask him. I knew the answer but wanted to hear it again from him.
“Why do we take our shoes off before we enter the whare?”
His response was this:
“To leave the puehu or dust we carry from the outside world at the door.”
In other words, when we enter the wharenui we leave the worries and cares of the world at the door and enter the whare, being the domain of peace (Rongomatane), with humility and respect.
Bare feet connects us with the earth.
Marae of old had dirt floors.
This helps us to remember that we are created beings and the ground we tread is only for us to steward while we are here on earth.
The wharenui is the centermost point of all Māori activity.
Our iwi hariru or shake hands at the door, not after the whaikorero.
We don’t eat in our whare.
We mourn our dead and we welcome our newborn in the wharenui.
We celebrate our union in marriage in the wharenui or in days of old consecrate it.
And we karakia or set it aside to pray and talk with Io Matua our Supreme Being Creator.
So what did I learn from this? After that whakawhiti korero or conversation I learned that yes, the wharenui is holy ground.
But I also concluded that this should not be something to fear or leave out of my life.
Rather I should embrace the tikanga and principles that are passed on and taught by those groomed to know.
And not every Māori person regardless of age is groomed to know.
This is an excerpt from an upcoming eBook and collaboration by Aroha Puketapu with Graeme (Kereama) Smith. Watch this space for more…!
Māori culture and learning
What is Learner-Centred Teaching – 12 Concepts from Te Ao Māori You Should Embrace to Create Learning Success
Discover time-honoured approaches to learner-centred teaching
What if I told you that there were time-honoured approaches to teaching and learning you can use to create the conditions for learning success. Imagine if your teaching really connected with your learners… What if your classroom or training environment was a place where your learners felt like they belonged and wanted to learn?
Here’s a secret. It’s totally possible if you discover and embrace time-honoured concepts from Te Ao Māori – the Māori world. This book is for you if you want to teach or train in a way that is more learner-centred or if you want to learn to think in a more holistic way. Read more here
CHECK OUT WHAT IS LEARNER-CENTRED TEACHING? 12 CONCEPTS FROM TE AO MĀORI YOU SHOULD EMBRACE TO CREATE LEARNING SUCCESS BY GRAEME SMITH
Click the link below to find out more about What is Learner-Centred? 12 Concepts from Te Ao Māori You Should Embrace to Create Learning Success
Three Simple Approaches You Need for Learner-Centred Teaching
Find out more about three of the fundamentals of adult teaching
Have you ever thought about how to improve your teaching? Have you ever wondered what it takes to create learner success in any teaching environment? Well, you need three things. Make that four things… You need to:
- Understand what people mean when they talk about “learner-centred” teaching.
- Know how to leverage your learners’ prior knowledge.
- Have simple ways of increasing the motivation of your students.
- Know what learner agency is and how to develop it.
Read more here.
CHECK OUT THREE SIMPLE APPROACHES YOU NEED FOR LEARNER-CENTRED TEACHING BY GRAEME SMITH
Click the link below to find out more about Three Simple Approaches You Need for Learner Centred Teaching – Proven Ways to Use Prior Knowledge, Increase Motivation and Develop Learner Agency to Pave the Road to Learning Success
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