Two hundred people gathered at EIT’s Te Ūranga Waka in July to buff up their Māoritanga skills and develop confidence to stand up on marae.
A Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated initiative, the hui focused on whaikōrero (formal oratory) and karanga (the ceremonial call welcoming visitors onto a marae).
Run over five days, it attracted participants, including kaiarataki and kaumātua, from marae as far north as Gisborne south to the Wairarapa and covered three levels of learning – beginners, intermediate and advanced.
EIT was a major sponsor for the hui and teachers included senior lecturer Materoa Haenga and lecturer Pare Rohe-Belmont.
EIT Māori and Pacific Island Liaison Advisor Lee Kershaw-Karaitiana said the hui encouraged intergenerational communication, with kaumātua passing on their knowledge and young people expressing their views.