For four decades, uri of the northern Hokianga hapū Te Hikutū have gathered each summer at Whirinaki to pass on kōrero tuku iho, identity and connection to the whenua through a week-long wānanga for their tamariki.
Established 40 years ago, the kaupapa was created to ensure future generations understood who they are, where they come from and the importance of their whenua, moana and ngahere. It has since become a cornerstone of cultural learning for Te Hikutū uri.
Deborah Thompson, who attended the wānanga as a child and now supports the kaupapa as an adult, says the experience plays a vital role in strengthening rangatahi identity, responsibility and pride.
The kaupapa was the brainchild of the late Isobel Thompson, who Deborah says, alongside other kaumātua of the valley, was instrumental in establishing the kaupapa and ensuring its long-term sustainability.
“Ko tāna mahi, i mua rā, ko te Child Youth and Family Services. I aua wā whakahaere ia ētahi kaupapa mātua whāngai camps, me kī, koia tērā. Tētahi wāna kitenga, me pēhea ia hei whakatū tētahi kaupapa mō ōna ake uri, mō te hapū, me te whānau. Kia hoki atu rātou, kia hono atu, kia mōhio ko wai koe.”
Deborah describes the wānanga as a space where young people are grounded in self-pride, kaitiakitanga and whakapapa, while forming lasting connections with their whenua and wider whānau.
From bush treks and camping in the ngahere to gathering and preparing kai from their kāinga, the wānanga takes rangatahi back to basics while instilling life skills and values along the way.
“Te whāinga matua, ko te whakawhanaungatanga. Kārua mai, ko te whakatinana i te pepeha, me kī. Ina ko tō maunga, heke mai ki tō awa, tō marae me tae ā - tinana atu ki ki taua wāhi. Ka taea te kī atu, āe, koia. Kua kite atu, kua rongo atu kua pā atu, āe, erangi ko te whakawhanaungatanga te mea nui kei roto i ngā whakaritenga, arā, ko ngā momo ngohe, ngā haerenga ka tāpiri atu ko ngā kōrero whakapapa.”
The kaupapa is entirely self-funded and has been sustained through generations of whānau contributing their time, resources and energy. From preparing kai to sharing mātauranga, the wānanga relies on collective effort rather than external support.
Deborah says the longevity of the kaupapa reflects the commitment of the people behind it, with each generation stepping forward to ensure the wānanga continues. She says being self-funded allows the whānau full autonomy to deliver the kaupapa without fiscal or reporting obligations to outside organisations.
As Te Hikutū mark 40 years of the summer wānanga, the whānau say the kaupapa remains as important today as it was when it first began.
