title: Kahokaho: ‘Ufi from the God/s; its future in the hands of people

authors: Vaioleti, Timote Masima

abstract: For people like the Tonga, planting the seeds and harvesting signifies being in harmony with nature and the gods who regulate the process with sufficient rains at the right time and measured amounts of sunshine that helps the plants prosper, in a cycle of life that repeats itself from year to year. Failing rains show that the harmony between men and the gods has been disturbed, and people are often able to appease the gods and restore the harmony of nature. But now that nature seems to be off-balance all the time people are bewildered, and Adult Education has to find new roads to help them understand the changed conditions and cope with them. Timote Masima Vaioleti, chairman of the Indigenous Maori and Pacific Education Charitable Trust (IMPAECT) in New Zealand, describes the challenge.

text: Kahokaho: ‘Ufi from the God/s; its future in the hands of people For people like the Tonga, planting the seeds and harvesting signifies being in harmony with nature and the gods who regulate the process with sufficient rains at the right time and measured amounts of sunshine that helps the plants prosper, in a cycle of life that repeats itself from year to year. Failing rains show that the harmony between men and the gods has been disturbed, and people are often able to appease the gods and restore the harmony of nature. But now that nature seems to be off-balance all the time people are bewildered, and Adult Education has to find new roads to help them understand the changed conditions and cope with them. Timote Masima Vaioleti, chairman of the Indigenous Maori and Pacific Education Charitable Trust (IMPAECT) in New Zealand, describes the challenge.

year: 2012

title: Mapping functional groups can provide insight into ecosystem functioning and potential resilience of intertidal sandflats

authors: Greenfield, Barry L.

subjects: biodiversity

abstract: The ability of species to maintain ecosystem functions under environmental stress depends on their vulnerability, adaptability and potential for dispersal and re-establishment. Species that share traits can perform similar functions, thus offering functional redundancy, and therefore potentially confer resilience in ecosystem function. In this regard, both species abundance and occurrence across a landscape are likely to affect the importance of redundancy. To investigate spatial patterns in functional redundancy, we assessed the degree to which specific functional traits linked to ecosystem function are shared, along with patterns of abundance and distribution, in a macrobenthic community (115 taxa; 23 682 individuals) sampled in 400 plots from a large intertidal area (300 000 m2). We defined 26 functional groups; 85% of these contained more than 1 species and 50% more than 3 species. Most functional group (22 of 26) distributions were non-random (as identified by Moran's I) and fell into 1 of 3 spatial patterns - gradients (n = 8 function groups), and large (n = 2) and small patches (n = 12) - that separate the functional attributes of the macrobenthic community. Only 2 functional groups exhibited low species richness and low abundance, but their widespread occurrence could provide resilience to small-scale disturbances. This spatial consideration of functional group distribution stresses the notion that resilience is likely to be scale-dependent rather than a commodity on offer across a whole system. Our findings emphasise the importance not only of within-functional group species richness but also of abundance and occurrence as a framework to investigate functional diversity and resilience of benthic seafloor communities.

text: Mapping functional groups can provide insight into ecosystem functioning and potential resilience of intertidal sandflats The ability of species to maintain ecosystem functions under environmental stress depends on their vulnerability, adaptability and potential for dispersal and re-establishment. Species that share traits can perform similar functions, thus offering functional redundancy, and therefore potentially confer resilience in ecosystem function. In this regard, both species abundance and occurrence across a landscape are likely to affect the importance of redundancy. To investigate spatial patterns in functional redundancy, we assessed the degree to which specific functional traits linked to ecosystem function are shared, along with patterns of abundance and distribution, in a macrobenthic community (115 taxa; 23 682 individuals) sampled in 400 plots from a large intertidal area (300 000 m2). We defined 26 functional groups; 85% of these contained more than 1 species and 50% more than 3 species. Most functional group (22 of 26) distributions were non-random (as identified by Moran's I) and fell into 1 of 3 spatial patterns - gradients (n = 8 function groups), and large (n = 2) and small patches (n = 12) - that separate the functional attributes of the macrobenthic community. Only 2 functional groups exhibited low species richness and low abundance, but their widespread occurrence could provide resilience to small-scale disturbances. This spatial consideration of functional group distribution stresses the notion that resilience is likely to be scale-dependent rather than a commodity on offer across a whole system. Our findings emphasise the importance not only of within-functional group species richness but also of abundance and occurrence as a framework to investigate functional diversity and resilience of benthic seafloor communities.

year: 2016

title: Turakina Ngā Hara me Hinepūkohurangi

authors: Channings, Terehia Teresa

abstract: Turakina Māori Girls’ College was a Māori boarding school established by the Presbyterian Church. It is a school that has had a long-standing relationship with Tūhoe. The connection between Tūhoe and Turakina Māori Girls’ College has seen many generations of Tūhoe women attend this Presbyterian educational institution. Central in the forging of special bond was the connection between The Right Reverend John Laughton and Rua Kenana. They both had immense influence on the people of Ruatāhuna, of Waikaremoana and Te Whāiti where the very first cohort of Tūhoe students who attended Turakina originated.
This research investigates the influence of Turakina Māori Girl’s College on the lifestyles, careers and personal development of a select group of Tūhoe women. In particular, this study focuses on Tūhoe women who attended Turakina over a period of five decades from as early as the 1940’s through to the 1980’s. The careers of each of the participants range from education to health, to social services and to pastoral Ministry. The key focus questions are based around the four cornerstone pinnacles of Turakina; Mana Mātauranga - Educational Enhancement & Achievement, Mana Māori - Māori Language & Cultural Strengthening, Mana Wairua - Spiritual Well-being & Care and particularly Mana Wahine - Female Capacity.
In January 2016, the Minister of Education officially closed Turakina. The college was the only Māori Girls’ boarding school ever to be established by the Presbyterian Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand. However, the relationship between Turakina and Tūhoe still remains and is a crucial part of the lives of many Tūhoe women.

text: Turakina Ngā Hara me Hinepūkohurangi Turakina Māori Girls’ College was a Māori boarding school established by the Presbyterian Church. It is a school that has had a long-standing relationship with Tūhoe. The connection between Tūhoe and Turakina Māori Girls’ College has seen many generations of Tūhoe women attend this Presbyterian educational institution. Central in the forging of special bond was the connection between The Right Reverend John Laughton and Rua Kenana. They both had immense influence on the people of Ruatāhuna, of Waikaremoana and Te Whāiti where the very first cohort of Tūhoe students who attended Turakina originated.
This research investigates the influence of Turakina Māori Girl’s College on the lifestyles, careers and personal development of a select group of Tūhoe women. In particular, this study focuses on Tūhoe women who attended Turakina over a period of five decades from as early as the 1940’s through to the 1980’s. The careers of each of the participants range from education to health, to social services and to pastoral Ministry. The key focus questions are based around the four cornerstone pinnacles of Turakina; Mana Mātauranga - Educational Enhancement & Achievement, Mana Māori - Māori Language & Cultural Strengthening, Mana Wairua - Spiritual Well-being & Care and particularly Mana Wahine - Female Capacity.
In January 2016, the Minister of Education officially closed Turakina. The college was the only Māori Girls’ boarding school ever to be established by the Presbyterian Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand. However, the relationship between Turakina and Tūhoe still remains and is a crucial part of the lives of many Tūhoe women.

year: 2016