Ko Hikurangi te maunga, Ko Mangaporo te awa, Ko Horouta te waka, Ko Ngāti, Porou te iwi, Ko Te-Whānau a te Uruahi te hapu, Ko Tinatoka te marae
Of Ngāti Porou descent, Rosie Dennis launched into a journey of self-discovery several years ago after visiting EIT’s Te Manga Māori.
Accompanying her sister, who was enrolled in a programme offered through the Faculty of Māori Studies, Rosie experienced an epiphany.
“On that day, I felt such warmth from the students – I was intrigued by the kapa haka and how united they all were. I felt a strong pull to sign up to learn everything about my Māori heritage and I haven’t looked back,” she says.
“It wasn’t me who chose the reo, rather that the reo chose me.”
Rosie started with certificate-level studies and progressed this year to a Bachelor of Arts (Māori). Once she completes her degree, she hopes to pursue a career in primary school teaching or journalism.
“I would love to work for Māori TV,” she says. “I am very technical as well, so that could be behind a camera.”
While appreciating that a degree will be an advantage in the search for her desired job, Rosie says her study journey is about much more than the qualification and that some time in the future she would like to be fully immersed in Te Ao Māori.
“I want to bring my children up surrounded by this and do my part to uplift and preserve our beautiful language and culture. I would also like to look into ways of getting young people into learning the way of our ancestors.”
Rosie traces her own Ngāti Porou lineage through her father Ron Dennis, who gained his Bachelor of Arts (Māori) (Hons) at EIT.
The Dennis family, who live in Hastings, visit the home marae in Tairāwhiti at least once a year, and while Ron, a lecturer at Te Manga Māori, has never put Rosie under any pressure to explore her heritage further, she says “he is glad I’m doing it”.
The 20-year-old enjoys the mix of ages in her degree cohort.
“The mature students bring particular qualities to the dynamic while the younger ones have the energy and encourage those who don’t have a lot of belief in themselves.”
For Rosie, the concept of family extends to all those associated with Te Ūranga Waka – EIT’s newly opened Māori studies building. Meaning the landing place for waka, the traditional Māori canoe, the name was chosen to convey a sense of the education journey undertaken by Te Manga Māori students and staff.
“Family is of great importance to me,” she says. “I mean all my families, from Te Ūranga Waka to my own. Without their constant support, love and encouragement, I don’t know where I’d be right now.”