Tāngata turi, who are often disconnected from their ao Māori because of accessibility, were welcomed into an accessible wānanga space to learn and to play tākaro Māori.
Tākaro Māori are traditional Māori games and forms of play that were used to build strength, coordination and strategic thinking, while reinforcing tikanga and whakapapa.
Activities such as kī-o-rahi, poi toa and mau rākau serve as tools for physical training, cultural transmission and strengthening whanaungatanga.
Tui Rahurahu, who travelled from Tauranga to attend says the impact was immediate.
“Being here today has been emotional because I haven’t had such a strong connection to Te Ao Māori in such an accesible way.”
The connection was so profound that Tui announced she is reclaiming her ancestral surname, Rahurahu, moving away from the name ‘Scott’ used by her family for generations.
Kaiako Wiremu Sarich calls a triple barrier that to fully participate in many Māori spaces, you often need to navigate three languages: English, Te Reo Māori, and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL).
“Kei waho rātou i te ao hurihuri nei nā te mea e turi ana, kei waho rātou i te ao Māori hoki.”
This gap has caused long-standing mamae for whānau who want to connect but can’t find an accessible way in.
Data from the 2023 census shows a significant spike in the Turi Māori community. 2,534 Māori now identify as being Deaf or hard of hearing, up from 9,717 in 2018, and up to 49% of all children identified as Deaf or hearing impaired in New Zealand are Māori
Changing the approach
The new wānanga created by Wiremu in partnership with Te Rōpū Kaitiaki is filling that gap by using taonga tākaro, as these games offer visual, movement and vibration; it is a playful way to open up your “inner child.”
15-year-old Andre Hesp, a tauira at Ko Taku Reo, says this visual way of learning is exactly what the community needs to make information stick.
Acknowledging the gaps
While these stories are powerful, they highlight a systemic lack of resources. Ryan Cassidy, from the NZSL team at Whaikaha, says that restoring these connections is vital.
Rāhera Turner, Chair of Te Rōpū Kaitiaki, says the wānanga is a direct response to a system that hasn’t worked.
“One wānanga doesn’t change things... it needs to be more... but we need the resources. We are Māori, and we are Deaf. We can’t separate those.”
What’s next?
This wānanga is the first time the kaupapa has been opened to the wider community; it’s a major part of the Te Rōpū Kaitiaki Action Plan to make Te Ao Māori actually accessible for the roughly 23,000 people who make up the wider NZSL community.
Brooklyn West from Te Rōpū Kaitiaki says the ‘Māori-ness’ is already there, it just needs a way to come out.
“We’ve grown up in Māori families. We know those facial expressions, those subtle signals... that’s where we connect”
