Rapa Nui trip connects and inspires University delegation
Sitting in Rapa Nui, Te pito o te henua, it is difficult not to reflect on the many connections that have revealed themselves throughout this haerenga. Some have been immediately recognisable, while others have presented themselves more quietly through conversations, shared experiences, and the everyday interactions that come from living alongside people rather than simply visiting a place.
As a lecturer within Te Tumu, this experience has reinforced the value of learning through relationships. Throughout my time here, I have found myself recognising familiar linguistic features, cultural values, and ways of relating that speak to the shared foundations of our Polynesian heritage. These moments have prompted reflection on the enduring connections of Te Moana nui ā-Kiwa and the ways our histories continue to shape Indigenous communities and scholarship across the Pacific.
Rapa Nui is the eastern-most island that makes up te taimana o te Moana nui ā-Kiwa, or the Polynesian triangle, with Aotearoa being the western point of the triangle and Hawai’i the north. Experiencing the island and meeting the tāngata whenua firsthand has deepened my appreciation of the cultural and linguistic relationships that continue to connect Te Moana nui ā-Kiwa. Although Rapa Nui language and culture have developed in distinctive ways, there are clear connections with both Māori and Tongan language and cultural practices that will compliment and influence my
current research trajectory. Observing these similarities in context has reignited my interest in comparative research, particularly in the areas of language revitalisation, intergenerational transmission of pūrākau, and the maintenance of cultural identity.
One of the many highlights of this haerenga has been being hosted by whānau in Rapa Nui. Staying in family homes has provided insights that could never be gained through formal study alone. The generosity with which we have been welcomed, fed, included in everyday living and cared for as part of the whānau reflects values that resonate strongly with Māori understandings of manaakitanga and whanaungatanga, all while navigating three, sometimes four languages. These experiences have reinforced the importance of building genuine relationships as the foundation for collaborative research and meaningful engagement with Indigenous communities.
Our delegation of eight tauira and four academic staff travelled to Rapa Nui to facilitate a series of community wānanga covering te reo Māori, education, hauora Māori, law and the environment, archaeology, sport and health. While we came intending to share knowledge from Aotearoa, the wānanga quickly became spaces of reciprocal learning. It was particularly rewarding to see our tauira confidently contribute their own experiences and perspectives, creating genuine kōrero and space to wānanga.
L-R Ollie Ihaka-Gudsell (Indigenous Studies and Law), Tyla Te Puawai Hill -Moana (PhD Candidate Genetics and Mātauranga Māori), Te Āwhina Brundell (Masters of Peace and Conflict), Ariana Davis (Indigenous studies and Law).
Ollie Ihaka-Gudsell, a Te Tumu and Law student described his experience as special, “Every rainy or sunny day, every experience, and every story and connection has been special. My experience has connected me to the people of Rapa Nui and to my own whakapapa”.
Te Āwhina Brundell, a tauira from Te Tumu, doing her masters with Te Ao o Rongomaraeroa comments, “This experience has expanded me in the most beautiful of ways. My favourite part has been the connection between our histories, our stories and our languages. It becomes impossible to deny our shared identity as one people”.
Prime Minister’s Scholarship Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka delegation at Tongariki, in Rapa Nui
It’s clear that this experience will have a lasting influence on all students and staff involved. The relationships established here have opened opportunities for future collaborations exploring Indigenous language maintenance, comparative Polynesian linguistics, and culturally grounded approaches to education…which will see many of the current delegation return. The experience of being on this haerenga will also enrich my teaching by enabling students to better understand te reo Māori within its wider Polynesian context and appreciate both the diversity and interconnectedness of Pacific languages and cultures.
As our time in Rapa Nui draws to a close, I sit with a deep sense of gratitude for the people who have welcomed us into their homes and communities. While the formal wānanga have been an important part of this visit, it is the everyday moments of sharing meals, navigating conversations in a mixture of Rapa Nui, Spanish, te reo Māori and English, singing, dancing and sharing stories that have left the greatest impression. These experiences have strengthened not only my understanding but the students too, of our shared Pacific whakapapa, culture and language. ‘Iorana māuruuru te ta’ina o te pito o te henua, te poki, te tupuna o te henua nei māuruuru ‘iorana.
Kāhui after a tour around Orongo historical village, standing above the crater of Rano Kau.
