During Matariki Week (10th - 14th June) Room 6 students wanted to celebrate one of our very world famous kaumatua - Hekenukumai Busby. On the 13th and 14th of June, the whole of Tautoro School went to Taipa. We stayed at TeKauhanga Marae. The high light of our trip, was when we visited Hekenukumai Busby at Aurere.
We were greeted by a very warm and friendly kaumatua, who was happy to see our whole school wanting to learn from him.
For over thirty minutes, Hekenukumai explained to us how our tupuna used traditional navigational methods to sail across the Polynesian triangle (New Zealand-Rapanui-Hawaii) He taught us that our tupuna studied the flight paths of birds, stars, sun position and sea currents. Hekenukumai had also built TeAurere (a sea waka) using traditional methods that our tupuna used.
We also met Haimona Brown, Hekenukumai's moko, he sailed on TeAurere in 2012-2013. His job on TeAurere was Quarter Master. He had to feed the crew and keep a watchful eye on the water and food stores.
After the talk we all went outside and we went to see TeAurere and the star compass that Hekenukmai had built beside his house.
There were two main messages that I received at Aurere.
- You are never too old to learn. Wow! Hekenukumai is 82 years old if he is still learning and following his dreams, then so can the students of Room 6.
- Your team, class or whanau must work or live in a place where the wairua is positive. When your wairua is positive then you can face any kind of hardship.
