Waka Moana: Pacific wayfinders and their amazing craft
Learn how Māori and Pacific peoples intentionally used their knowledge and navigational expertise to sail their amazing waka across one-third of the earth’s surface and successfully settle every inhabitable island.
Key details
Suitable for: Years 4 to 13
Learning areas: Science, social sciences (aligns with Aotearoa NZ histories curriculum), te reo Māori, English
Duration: 1 to 2 hours
Cost: Free
Available: All year from middle of Term 2
Founding documents: He Whakaputanga | Declaration of Independence, Te Tiriti o Waitangi | Treaty of Waitangi, Women's Suffrage Petition | Te Petihana Whakamana Pōti Wahine
He Tohu themes: The documents, people, living together, our future
He whakapapa kōrero, he whenua kura.
Talking about our past, to create a better future.
The greatest migration
Historians regard the story of the human settlement of the Pacific Ocean as the greatest migration story in world history. With stone tools, coconut fibre and an intimate awareness of their environment, these wayfinders and their communities found and populated every inhabitable land mass in an ocean covering a third of the globe. They even reached South America!
About this learning programme
This programme has been developed in collaboration with specialists, waka designers and builders, and with the generous oversight of experienced teachers.
What ākonga will learn
We are a nation of voyagers, this whenua being the last large landmass to be inhabited by people. Beginning with the ancestors of Māori, we have all navigated here and have the privilege of calling Aotearoa ‘home’.
Ākonga (students) will learn:
a brief history of voyaging and settlement in Aotearoa and the expertise of Pacific wayfinders
how the stories of the geographical and environmental challenges first peoples faced contain lessons that can help us navigate the modern world
how these stories have shaped who we are as a diverse community
about the design and construction of voyaging waka and how they were sailed
how modern voyagers are reviving these practices and retracing the steps of our ancestors.
What ākonga will do
Get 'hands-on' with our replica voyaging waka, 'Whakaura'. Work together to assemble the waka and:
learn about its construction — from its hulls to its sails
consider concepts such as rangatiratanga (leadership), kotahitanga (unity), mahi tahi (working together with our unique skills and strengths) and haerenga (journeying through our lives).
Take part in exercises that illustrate how these waka were sailed.
Practice navigation techniques developed and used by Pacific wayfinders in the past and today.
Book this programme or find out more
Email the Senior Education Specialist, He Tohu Tāmaki at servicestoschools@dia.govt.nz.
