Tautai o le moana

NZPPA-Tautai o le Moana 2021-Taula I Fanua – Anchored to land-6-9 April, James Cook Hotel, Wellington


It was an overwhelming warm start to our hui with Tautai o le moana (TOLM) as I had just come back from Auckland after visiting some whnau who had lost their dad and attended my previous principal Rhonda Kelly's funeral. 

Matua Jason and Whaea Helen welcomed us and we quickly began to connect with other principals. In the evening we had an amazing dinner and learned more of Pasifika customs and were presented with a Samoan floor show led by ministry staff. The siva was beautiful and we enjoyed learning more about service and generosity through Fatu. 
The following outline was written by the leadership team and summarises the amazing experience we had, together. I walked away from the fono with my heart full of emotions and my head filled with ideas. It was a truly moving experience and really affirming for the mahi we have done as a school.  




Day 1-Meet, greet, talanoa with 2021 Tautai and Advisory Team, MOE

  • Meet and greet at James Cook 

  • Mālie/Tani Fa chant

  • Walking and talking to dinner with Tamaki Tautai paired with Te Whanganui-a-tara Tautai

  • Entertainment by MOE’s Carinina and friends

  • Dinner and Talanoa at Te Wharewaka













Tamaki  Tautai-Shirley Hardcastle, Paula Passfield, Ronnie Govinder, Anna Swann, Heather Rewiri, Lou Reddy, Ravi Naidoo, Heather Rewiri)



Te Whanganui a Tara Tautai

Chris Theobald, Irene Unasa, Lynda Knight de Bois, Susan Arthur, Paul McKendry, Anna, Borrer, Clara Tuifao, Tania Cohen, Sue Goodin)


Researcher

Dr Rae Si’ilata


Ministry of Education

Fiona O'Connell-Faifua, Caranina Seumanutafa, Lafaele Mapusua


Advisory

Helen Varney, Sose Annandale, Jason Swann, Falefatu Enari, Sepora Mauigoa, Whetu Cormack, Geoff Siave



Day 2

2021 Tautai received Ei Katu made by Helen’s whānau.


















Turou/Whakatau led by Falefatu.























Minister Tinetti (Associate Minister of Education)-Refreshing the Curriculum

 

  • Connected to Harry Samuela (Cook Island educator), walking in two worlds but only showed different sides to different people 

  • Hiding their identity

  • Building identity (Pacific and Māori)

  • Need to hear Pacific voices

  • Curriculum Refresher-child at the centre 

  • Learning support-culture, language and identity

  • Attendance-system  used to meet local needs.  Local voices needed-main part of the solution.  Pilots are running in Kawerau and South Auckland.  Pasifika's voice needed to be heard too.

  • Engaging curriculum needed.

  • English as a second language

How do you build identities in your school?


Filivaifale Jason Swann-A Pasifika World View

  • Remember the importance of a name.  

  • Vā-the space between us. Do your homework to set the start of relationships.

  • What is Pāsifika? Refers to Polynesian, Melanesian, Micronesidan.  17 identified groups-Samoan, Cook Islands Māori, Rarotongan, Tongan, Niuean, Tokelauan, Fijian, Australian Aboriginal, Hawaiian, Kiribati, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn Islander, Rotuman, Tahiti, Solomon Ishalnder, Tuvalu, Vanuatu

  • 2013 Census data show Pasifika have a higher proportion of children than any other ethnic group in NZ.

  • NELPs-Priority 2 Improving outcomes for Māori, Pasifika and children with Special Needs

  • Flip the script-talk about what is working and celebrate success

  • Pasifika children and young people are master navigators.  Constantly travelling through multiple worlds within their lives-daily.  Is it over crowding or wealth? It's a brain trust-wealth of knowledge or mindsets.

  • Are children leaving culture at the door.

  • Children carry their aiga/whānau with them

  • Why not learn about Pasifika-Pasifika are everywhere

  • Talonoa can be simply defined as a free flowing conversation that involves the sharing of stories, thoughts and feelings (Faavae, 2016; Vaioleti, 2006).  It is not time bound.

  • Teu le va-is it a safe space?

    • Relationship

    • The space between us

    • Connections

    • Food is about connection and ‘breaking bread’ together

  • Greatest  joy in Pasifika is to give parents joy

  • Use Pasifika lens when critiquing the media.  Be aware of the conversations around you.

  • Systemic racism is alive and well in Aotearoa NZ.

  • Do not use the Push to Brown effect?PTB

  • Pasifika Add On effect. PAO

  • Beware of Pasifika Policy written in invisible ink


Food for thought

  • What forms your world view?

  • What are the consequences of your world view?

  • Aotearoa NZ is a bicultural nation-Māori and the rest of us.  Are you looking at the Treaty or Te Tiriti o Waitangi?

  • How does your school incorporate biculturalism and multiculturalism? Language, culture and identity?

  • Does your school fit your children’s values?

  • Do kids see themselves at school?


Talanoa as a strategy used for reflection.







Perry Rush-NZPF President

  • Leadership isn’t always about getting things right

  • Don’t ask kids to respond to challenges that you can’t do yourself

  • As principals our challenge is to get out there and check what our pupils are getting 

  • Are schools representing who they are? How do they capture who they are?

  • We are here as learners and leaders.

  • Saying you don’t know, or feeling vulnerable is what a ‘competent’ leader does

  • Engage with as much honesty as you can


Minister Sālesa and Minister Sio (Associate Minister of Education)






  • 2019 Wellbeing Budget, education is a key valuable part of Pacific wellbeing

  • 2018 Lalaga Fou goals-$8 billion contribute to NZ economy

  • Pacific peoples can identify their own wellbeing-Pacific peoples see themselves as being confident, thriving and prosperous .

  • How can Pacific peoples thrive economically, health wise and confidently

  • 6 Bs beautiful, brown, brave, bilingual, brilliant, bold

  • Education is key to being healthy and resilient

  • Education is a weapon against poverty-King of Tonga

  • We have to support Pacific bilingual units-schools and teachers.  This has potential to lift and accelerate.

  • Pacific language policy has to be developed.

  • Future for our young people is in Science, STEAM, Mathematics (less than 2% in this space).  

  • Digital divide has to be addressed.

  • How is there support for transitioning students from secondary to tertiary.

  • Oral stories of our ancestors impart so much knowledge

  • Work on Pacific languages should begin soon-this will be one of the pillars.  This should align with the work of the History of Pacific Peoples.

  • History of Aotearoa should also include the history of the Pacific.

  • Collaborative approach.

  • Tokelau bilingual and Tokelau NCEA.

  • Māori medium and Pasifika medium should be getting the same monetary support

  • Tautai o le Moana has been funded for four years


Next steps

  • How do we develop and grow and share the Pacific workforce and Pacific intelligence?

  • How do we get Pacific students in Science, Mathematics, STEAM-social inclusion?

  • With your cultural lens what do we do differently to support Pasifika learners be the best they can be?

  • Your point of difference is your cultural lens

Values Aotearoa will use when mixing with Pacific and other countries

  • Whanaungatanga

  • Kotahitanga

  • Kaitiakitanga

  • Manaakitanga

Covid-19 Vaccine

  • Encourage communities to vaccinate

  • Supporting vaccines with realm countries and Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.  With Fiji and other countries working with Australia.


Sua steps to show respect in Sāmoan structure

  • Fine mat

  • Food

  • Transport-pāsese (envelopes)

Samoan culture is a bartering system;  it is about exchange

Tu’ua-elder


Chant that Falefatu used throughout our Fono

Malie tani fa.

If there is a shark, cry out

Malie tani fa,

If there is a shark, cry out

Tau selefuti i tua ava

To snare beyond the reef

A iai se tautai,

if there is an expert fisherman

Ua na ia iloa se i'a feai,

that knows ferocious fish

Mua o, mua o, mua o, mua o

make it known

Dr Rae Si'ilata-The place of Pasifika in relation to Tangata Whenua and Te Tiriti o Waitangi Te Motu, Te Moana, Te Ao (Island, Ocean, World)

  • Va’atele-double hull (home/school)

  • Keys to the culture of power-Lisa Delpert

  • Pasifika teacher aide project

  • Pasifika dual language texts

  • Language and literacy practices are deeply embedded

  • Māori are tangata whenua and tangata o le Moana

  • The Polynesian  Whānau

  • Hawaii-> Rapanui/Easter Island->Aotearoa-Pacific Triangle

  • Don’t be too hasty to cast aside your cultural treasures.

  • Bilingualism and bi-literacy across the curriculum.

  • Māori-Pacific Identities-’Once Were Pacific’, Alice Te Punga Somerville, 2012 Once were Pacific: Māori Connections to Oceania

  • Hanui-a-Nanaia-grandson of Kupe, named all the places of the lower North Island

  • Never losing sight of the point of departure.

  • 3 Ps-partnership’ participation, protection  

  • Talanoa-free and unrestrained talks

  • ‘Indigenous Wayfinding Leadership’-Spiller, Barclay-Kerr, Panoho, 2015.

    • Refresh your thinking

    • Be present

Thinking ahead:

  • Whose knowledge is privileged and valued at school?

  • How can we be linguistically sustainable and revitalising?  

  • How is Pasifika privileged in your a’oga/kura?

  • How do whānau share their tupuna stories?

Quiz-whose knowledge has been valued?

  1. Where did tangata whenua come from?  Hawaiki (Rangiatea, Cook Islands, Savaii, Eastern Polynesian).  Multiple journeys

  2. What are the Māori names for Wellington and where do they come from? Te Whanganui a Tara (great harbour of Tara), Upoko te ika (head of the fish),

  3. Which tribes  hold Mana Whenua over the Wellington region?

  4. Which nation declared jurisdiction over all unclaimed Pacific Islands in 1877? British Empire

  5. Which Pacific Islands are part of the Realm of NZ and are NZ citizens? Cook Islands, Niue, Tokelau

  6. Which Pacific nations were ‘brought within the boundaries of NZ’ in 1901?  Cook Islands and Niue

  7. Which Pacific nations were ‘brought within the boundaries of NZ’ in 1901? Tokelau

  8. Administered by NZ from 1914-1962: Samoa


Pacific/Specific Space

2020 Cohort arrived to mix and mingle and have dinner.


Day 3-2020  Sharing between 2020 and 2021 Tautai

Name/School/Takeaway


  • Anna, Russell School-what cultural sustainability looks like

  • Susan, Maeroa School-cultural experiences and interactions and explanations

  • Katrina-Cannons Creek-making Pasifika more visible

  • Chis-Bishop Viard College-reimagining curriculum for Year 7-10, whose knowledge are we valuing, student voice leading curriculum change?

  • Heather-Ranui-excited about policy change, language and literacy in a book context

  • Anna Swan-St Dominc College-have the courage to be uncomfortable

  • Lynda-Glenview School-Tupu bilingual readers using these more in the classroom

  • Ravi Robertson Road School-How do I reculturalise some of our staff to ensure we are on the same level to have a better understanding

  • Ronnie, Ferguson Intermediate-good to know there are rocks in the ocean, include culture as part of deliberate acts of teaching

  • Eddie-Rangikura-how to further engage students and know staff will raise to the occasion

  • Trish-Porirua East-an expected outcome,found two bilingual staff who have supported Trish, growing our own

  • Clara/Milomilo-St Michaels School-finally given a voice. Name changed to make it easier for teachers. We are in a position to bring about change. Opportunity to be learner

  • Tania-Taita Central-inspirational and challenging-how much do teachers really know their learners

  • Jan Whelan-McCauley High-whose knowledge do we value/

  • Paula Passfield-Fairburn School-PTB-Push the Brown; challenging own world views

  • Irene-Porirua East School-society should value what children bring

  • Lou-challenging my own world view, whose knowledge am I valuing? hearts and minds.  Challenging notion of talanoa-leaving this open.  Relational trust.  Articulating what was felt, sense of urgency needed.

  • Jason-Tairangi School-take your team with you, relationships that were started last year are continuing this year.

  • Paul McKendry-Brandon Int-meeting up with Rae, growing Tokelau language

  • Jenny-Birdwood-culture, language and identity central to tamariki’s success

  •  Shirley-Viscount School-making connections, talanoa is not timebound

  • Michelle-Ngā Iwi School-privileged position to share this work, connections made across the motu, looking for opportunities to make connections or voices.  We are the voice.

  • Mary-Manurewa East School-humour and happiness, support is  always there along the way


  • Nardi-Jean Batten School-grown within, being part of this group means you are not alone (collaboration), understanding and valuing knowledge; be courageous, rock the boat in a respectful way.  Consciousness has opened.

  • Paeariki-Rongomai School-normalising Pasifika in school.  Culture is not at the gate.

  • Davida-Tangaroa College-Creating Va for students where they are encouraged, acknowledged.  Deliberate selection of staff.

Sose Annandale acknowledged the loss of a colleague from Porirua High School.  

Rhys  is a Kahui Ako leader, Jason Ataera co-leader of Porirua East Kāhui Ako.


Tu’ua, Malu, Tohunga, Mātua Tamā -Fa’atili Iosua Esera-Empower Pacific Languages


  • Language plays a critical part in learning

  • The start matters! School is a professional learning environment.  Servant/leadership.

  • Students’  language and culture!

  • Whakakotahi ki te mahi!

  • Power of whānau.

  • Success is infectious.

  • Shared beliefs-challenge teachers’ beliefs of what is critical to learning.  Foundational to setting up school culture.

  • Culture counts

  • Language matters

  • Money talks

  • Language for learning

  • Language for Learning

  • To be a haven for Pacific students

  • A siva is telling a story using your body, it is not prescribed

  • Pati/Po-linked to coding

  • Tautai o le Moana Capabilities

    • To see the unseen

    • To hear the voiceless

To know the unknown

  • O le va’a ia mafa tauti- ‘The boat to be heavy laden with skippers/leaders!’

    • Everyone on your waka should be there

    • Language in Samoan has different stratification according to who is in front of you

    • You need to have the right people on your bus before you even think of where to drive

  • ‘O sala a tautai e togiola’ (‘Captains fines/errors are paid in lives’)

  • A tapa tautali taliuta, e a’e e fua le faiva  (‘Success at sea is dependent on support ashore)

  • ‘O lau gagana lou ala i malo’ (‘Your language/culture is THE pathway to success’)

Rangikura Students Performing-Kahikatea polyclub performance




























Move Media-Shontelle and Graham Hall

Media Company that has filmed the event


Exploring Tuakana/Teina

Reciprocal-teina can provide encouragement for tuakana and vice-versa.  2020 Tautai shared taonga with 2021 Tautai.



   




Poroporoaki















2020 Tautai Reflection-Thinking about your end of year Tautai o le Moana presentation-can you share how you are enacting and deepening your practice with your school community.

Tautai o Māngere Digiverse Conference Digiverse for parents conferenceBOT min conference

Digikete Conference

Moderating writing

Sharing expertise-basketball, music

Mangere is the place to be NOT the place to leave.


Tairangi School-Jason

Prioritise students’ own languages over others.  

Language and Culture classes-5 cultures represented Māori, Tongan, Sāmoan, Cook Islands etc.

Shared rich sensory experiences


Birdwood School-Jenny

Student voice on what’s important to Pasifika students as Pasifika learners.

Renaming classes and teams with Te Reo.

Whānau hui, fono, talanoa-changing times to have these.

Student voice and building whānau

Cariner School-Cannons Creek-Trish-Taking off rose tinted glasses

What does it mean to have a Pasifika lens?

Courageous to have conversations with staff who are working through Ann Milne’s first course.

Using community expertise and it is about relationships.

Cannons Creek-Katrina

Have to get the pastoral stuff right and then look at achievement.

Asking questions about school culture and systems e.g. cultural safety around kāranga discussed.

Record kaupapa.

Davida-Tangaroa College

If we got it right our community would change.

For children-”I hear you and I see you.


Consider name for 2020 Tautai


Reflection-Design and Advisory 

  • Poroporoaki was amazing

  • Big system is changing.

  • Voice behind the policy to get language to the front.  

  • Linguistic shift.

  • Two co-horts are very different.

  • 45 minute keynote.

  • At the NZPF conference, share what is our capability?

  • Consider how do we teach how to facilitate successfully?  How can we support people to have a go?

  • Being mindful that the Advisory has to represent multiple worldviews.

  • Enrichment unit to Bilingual Unit (50% should be in the language  medium of instruction).  

  • Effective scaffolding.

  • Bilingual | Immersion education: Indicators of good practice 

  • Fatu - Master MC- an amazing job.

  • As we are so shall they be.

  • Serving to lead.  Secure and willing to be laughed at and to cry.

  • Evolving the programme-consider having 2020 Tautai listen to people like Albert Wendt.

  • Tautai growing, us and we are growing them.

  • BOTs are in partnership with us.  How are we letting them know about Tautai

  • New co-hort not Pasifika/Māori


6.30 Dinner at Lulus


Day 4 


Dr Rae Si'ilataResearch Report-Documenting the Journey of Tautai o Le Moana 2019-2020



  • Moana o le Pasifika team acknowledged by Tautai o le Moana last night and gifted ei katu and lolly lei.

  • Final draft of the report given out-thank you Fiona and MOE team

  • There is no Executive Summary yet and Implications and Recommendations yet because this should be done in collaboration with Tautai and the Advisory.

  • Negotiating and collaborating to see who the helmsman will be revealed.

  • Pacific driving for Pacific

  • Tautai o le Moana based on 6 Key Outcomes, Research Questions and themes.

  • Four themes

    • Examining and adjusting school structures and processes to validate and utilise Pasifika learners’ strengths and meet their needs

    • Surfacing tautai and teacher beliefs, and changing tautai and teacher mindsets to grow learning opportunities for Pasifika learners

    • Valuing and validating Pasifika learner knowledges, language, cultures and identities to support Pasifika success

    • Developing reciprocal partnerships with Pasifika families


Tautai o le Moana Methodology

  • Talanoa

  • Teu le va


Literature Review

  • Work is underpinned by strong theory

  • Pacific Peoples

  • English Medium Education and Pasifika Success

  • Policy background

  • Generic and Pacific leadership capabilities

  • Principal’s active involvement in PLD makes the biggest difference

  • Leaders supporting PLD within the Tula’i Mai report

  • Leaders supporting PLD within the Va’atele Framework

  • Listening to voices of Pacific community leaders

  • NELPs


Findings

Residential 1-Deep talanoa and disonnance


Theme 1 Examining and Adjusting School Structures

1a-Shifting pedagogies; 

1b-Creating opportunities for tuakana/teina; 

1c-Sustaining System Change (importance of employing staff who systematically and methodically embed cultural processes…)

Summary of what is surfacing-system change

  • Systematic change using graduate profile VAI voice, action, identity across the cluster and incorporating this  in Local Curriculum.  Pasifika and Māori now in the review team.  These are identified in strategic plans.

  • Strategic plans are living documents that teachers know and live.

  • Document has life.  This has validated feelings, thoughts and voices of tautai.  Tautai feel strong.  Collectively there is a group with the same voice.


Theme 2-Surfacing Tautai and Teacher beliefs and changing Tautai and teacher mindsets to grow learning opportunities for Pasifika learners

2a Under-utilising Pasifika expertise

2b Moving towards Pasifika learner/aiga Strengths 

Summary of what is surfacing

  • It is through our song and dance that histories are told.

  • We are in a position where we can provide opportunities for change-don’t accept that language learning has to stay static

  • Being a palagi and seeing the world as palagi and importance of seeing the world with another world view or lens

  • Parents did a silent hikoi away from school when a bi-lingual unit got closed

  • We can set the tone of where the communities go:

    • Don’t take on the burdens of the pioneer-look at how far our ancestors have got us so far


Theme 3: Valuing and validating Pasifika learner knowledge, languages, cultures and identities to build Pasifika Success

3a Valuing and validating Pasifika knowledges

3b Utilising Pasifika linguistic and cultural resources


Theme 4: Developing reciprocal partnerships with Pasifika families

4a Promoting effective communication with Pasifika

4b Building on and developing expertise in online learning 


Discussion and Conclusion

E kore au e ngaro; he kakano i ruia mai i Rangiātea,

I will never be lost; I am a seed sown Rangiātea

The opening whakatauki (proverb) recognises the enduring connections of Māori and NZ Pacific peoples to their Pacific islands of origin.

Framing Tautai o le Moana

  1. Reading signs

  2. Making Adjustments

  3. Recalibrating

  4. Drawing on multiple knowledges

  • What are the key tohu?

  • What signs are we reading?

  • How do we want this presented visually?

Māori/ Pasifika people speak in metaphor


Recommendations

  • Place based learning

  • Pasifika principals should be delivering this

  • Moving forward together

    • Make Tapasa and Pasifika  Action plan compulsory

    • Apply for PLD the above implemented into Kahui Ako etc.

    • Spiral of Inquiry with ToLM lens

    • ToLM Framework to  inform a Pasifika Spiral of Inquiry

    • Growth Cycle-moderation to Tapasa framework and ToM, Pasifika Action Plan

    • Conversation around what is the Tohu is

  • Knowledge and strength within the cluster and to grow this and opportunities

    • Tautai providing PLD within Tautai group-Specific Pacific group

    • Sam to explain ToLM

    • Growth Cycles-can leaders review each other with Pacific specific lens 

    • Strategic Plan does it reflect Pacific lens is the plan for Pasifika specific and actionable

    • Davida to talk about NCEA journey what does this look like for Pasifika students

    • Growth inquiry-ToM is an inquiry


Malaga Aukusotino-Russel School-NZ Business Hall of Fame

  • Aukusotino Video -CEO entrepreneur of the year

  • Sphere of influence we have here is huge

  • Skills in relationship is a rich currency  for the future

Presentations of certificates 

  • Recognition of the journey tautai are on and continuing



















Acknowledgement of the MOE and Rae Si’ilata

Huge thank you to Rae and team for the work, presentation and the report.

If the back of the house isn’t right the front of the house isn’t right.

Fiona O’Connell Faifua has been fantastic.  Caranina and Rina have been part of this family. Fiona shared an Irish proverb wishing everyone all the best.

MOE will take the work back into the MOE.  Tautai is influencing the work in the MOE.


Reflection-Design and Advisory 

  • Cultural Expertise guide

  • This is our work

  • Measina-most valuable gift

  • E fua mai mauga manuia o le nu’u.





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