Kīa ora means hello in Māori
Here is a picture of Friday art days! Two of my students teaching me how to dig up clay then breaking it down with water. This is the clay they use to create their master pieces. Sneak peek of them trying to get it all over me... they succeed.
Morning Karakia
He karakia mo te ata
Whakataka te hau ki te uru
Whakataka te hau ki te tonga
Kia mākinakina ki uta
Kia mātaratara ki tai
E hī ake ana te atakura
He tio, he huka, he hau hū
Tīhei mauri ora!
Cease the winds from the west
Cease the winds from the south
Let the breeze blow over the land
Let the breeze blow over the ocean
Let the red-tipped dawn come with a sharpened air.
A touch of frost, a promise of a glorious day.
Every morning kids at Swanson are reciting their morning karakia and praying to have a good day. This morning time is one of the only times I see the kids quiet and speaking with a purpose and respecting a different culture. Karakia comes form the Māori culture. The Māori culture can be compared to the Native American culture in the United States. However, these two cultures are completely different and their experiences with colonialist are very different as well. This comparison is just to help paint a picture in your head.
Sealers and whalers were the first Europeans settlers, followed by missionaries. As more immigrants settled permanently in New Zealand, they weren’t always fair in their dealings with Māori over land. A number of Māori chiefs sought protection from William IV, the King of England, and recognition of their special trade and missionary contacts with Britain. Then the Treaty of Waitangi was drafted and signed. The Treaty of Waitangi was signed on February 6, 1840, at Waitangi in the Bay of Islands. Forty-three Northland Chiefs signed the treaty on that day. Over 500 Māori Chiefs signed it as it was taken around the country during the next eight months. From my knowledge the Treaty of Waitangi indicates that the Māori culture must be respected. 1840 to 2019 the Māori culture has survived and has been implemented into the New Zealand curriculum.
Speaking of the peace treaty and the Bay of Islands... I took a little trip to the beautiful Bay of Islands this past weekend!
This was a beautiful picture taken while cruising on a sailboat.
The ladies I am here in New Zealand with and I rented a car, left right after school, and took another breath taking trip. We checked ourselves into the greatest, most wonderful, fantastic, hostel. Where I had no sheets, no pillow case, roommates that woke up at 5:00am, and a roommate that took 3 hours to shower. But hey, it was cheap and we enjoyed every second of it. Friday night we had a delicious dinner and enjoyed making some new friends. However, Saturday was amazing.
We all decided to find our inner Moana and sail across the ocean. I have always loved water and being on the water. When I was younger my family would spend weeks at a lake in Michigan. We also would make day trips to Lake Michigan, on the Wisconsin side, during beautiful summer days. There is something about sailing that makes me feel so content with life. With a sailboat you don't just start the engine and off you go. You use every piece of the boat to get to where you want to be. It is hard work but satisfying. Continuing with my inner Moana, after awhile we stopped on an island to go kayaking, hiking, lay on the beach, or take in more views. Our captain provided us with a homemade sandwich, golden kiki fruit, lemonade, and the finest biscuits (which, for Americans, are called cookies). Eventually we hopped back onto the boat and sailed around a little bit longer. Sadly, sailing came to an end but our captain told us about a hot spring about 30 minutes away from where we were staying, so we ended our day with sitting in hot healing water.
Sunday ended up being a day on the beach. We laid our butts on the sand and marveled at the crystal blue water that was an arms reach away. It is crazy to think that this side of the ocean was across the world from where I was just a few weeks ago. Who would have thought I'd end up here?
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