Annual pilgrimage an emotional journey

Annual pilgrimage an emotional journey for Rāwene Applied Arts Students

NorthTec’s Applied Arts students from Rāwene experienced an emotional learning journey when they headed across the serene waters to North Hokianga to visit the Ngāi Tupoto Marae at Motukaraka.

While the annual pilgrimage for Certificate and Diploma of Applied Arts recently was to provide them with practical experience for their brief of their arts project “Hokianga, my place”, it also taught them the significance and the history of Motukaraka.

“For the students it captures a greater understanding and emotional connect which helps inspire the context for the art work made here,” says Dr Hayward.

The students also attended a timely workshop with Ngāi Tupoto Hapu’s Treaty negotiator Paul White who is part of the Te Rarawa Iwi negotiating team.

The Te Rarawa Deed of settlement was signed last October after 85% voted for it to go ahead in the ratification process. Te Aupouri and Ngai Takoto have also signed their deeds with the expectation that the other Iwi member of Te Hiku, Ngati Kuri, will sign soon.

“The relevance for our students is that Paul White is not only one of the Te Rarawa Treaty negotiators, but he is from Motukaraka and the Ngāi Tupoto Hapu so he had a huge amount of knowledge to impart to the students during the workshop setting at the Marae,” Dr Hayward says.

The students also visited the rebuilt wharf, the Ko Te Ahupehio a Hata Maria; the Our Lady of the Assumption church which celebrated its centenary in 2010; and spent some moments on sombre reflection at the war memorial which marks the history of the many men who went to fight in the two World Wars.

“We’d like to see our students take this experience as part of their cultural studies and express themselves individually in their Arts works,” Dr Hayward said.

NorthTec is the Tai Tokerau (Northland) region's largest provider of tertiary education, with campuses and learning centres in Whangarei, Kerikeri, Rāwene, Kaikohe and Kaitaia. NorthTec also has over 60 community-based delivery points from Coatesville in rural Rodney to Ngataki in the Far North.

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