title: Taonga tuku iho: Intergenerational transfer of raranga and whatu

authors: Te Kanawa, Kahutoi Mere

subjects: Intergenerational Knowledge Transfer through Raranga and Whatu

abstract: The intergenerational transfer of Māori weaving knowledge is based on the succession and continuum of raranga and whatu skills. This study will show how the genesis of inherent know-ledge and skills imbues the nature and continuity of our own cultural practice, especially specific to raranga, whatu and wider areas such as tukutuku. Kaupapa Māori research methodology u-sing the framework of Te Aho tapu provides the methodological approach for this research.  In particular I draw upon the experiences of our whānau and the pedagogical processes used by five generations to define the fundamental underpinnings of a Kaupapa Māori approach to knowledge transfer within, and between, generations of whānau and hapū. Another important driving force behind this work is a need to express the actual practice of intergenerational trans-mission as evidence of the centrality of ako or Māori pedagogy in terms of raranga.
The research questions I pose, are based around the difference between, mōhiotanga, mātauranga, māramatanga and mahi within in a raranga and whatu context.
What is the importance of indigenous intergenerational knowledge transmission through raranga/whatu?
Is it possible to understand the skills and intricacies of an artefact that gives us knew, yet old knowledge from the expertise left by our kairaranga?
The creative component of this research includes as a feature the reproduction of a kete pūkoro, also known as a pututu, especially in the northern tribal dialects (Williams, 2005). The pūkoro is held in the the Otago Museum and the kairaranga has not been identified. The Ngai Tahu dialect emphasise this kete is a pūkoro (Dr J.Williams, personal communication, 2015) which is the term I utilise throughout this research as an acknowledgement to the kairaranga from the southern region of Otakau. A kete pūkoro is a finely woven kete which was used to squeeze the juice from the tutu berries (Beever, 1991). The pūkoro is the only known such taonga that exists and is so fragile that it‘s no longer exhibited. The fragility of the piece is prone to damage through touch, movement and light exposure, so is kept in a temperature controlled draw in the Otago Museum, Dunedin. The uniqueness of this piece of work is the construction, form and the function. The pūkoro sits at the centre of the practice for this research as an example of intergenerational knowledge transfer of the taonga. The raranga technique will be analyzed and the function and form will be replicated to understand more about the kairaranga through the making of the pūkoro. The artefact will be researched and analyzed considering every detail possible, documenting, and reflecting on the processes. Whilst the pūkoro is the centre piece that shows the refinement of knowledge of the kairaranga, it demonstrated the skills and ability to produce a taonga that could be used as a practical kete for sieving out the poisonous kernels of the tutu, only allowing the juice to be strained through it.
Why the pūkoro?
When I first came upon the pūkoro, it was only by osmosis. The pūkoro was stored away in a dark area, and I was attracted to the space where it was stored while viewing kete whakairo that were put out for display for me. I was the kaiako at Otago University for the Toi Onamata classes within Te Tumu, the Māori and Pacific studies Faculty. I arranged with the museum curator to view the kete whakairo in their collection.
I felt drawn to that part of the museum after feeling a strong sense of needing to see what was kept in the dark. I had a strong feeling and attraction to viewing what was kept in the dark, so I asked the curator if I could see what was kept in that space. I was told it was a very fragile kete made of harakeke which they considered was an un-usual shape and it was noted that it was a very old piece. and that the shape of it was unusual, and it was a very old. This made me more curious, as there was something particularly that I was alluring about me to this taonga.
When closely analysing the piece, I realised I could not see the commencement or completion. With closer inspection of the construction, it became more obvious to me, as a kairaranga that the skills and technical detail of horizontal and vertical twills of overlaying patterns used, were woven that way for a purpose.
From that first viewing, I was able to tell the curator, exactly what this artefact was used for, what material it was made out of and that the technical construction of the kete pūkoro was different from others I had viewed before.
It was this moment in time, that I had an epiphany, that this piece of work could tell a story of the unknown kairaranga. I decided right from that point, that I would try my best to bring to light the technical ability of the raranga weave and why it was constructed in such a way.
Like anything, further research needed to be done on the pūkoro, to understand the purpose of this fine piece of work. This was the impetus of my study. The questions I asked myself were:
Why was I attracted to this dark space? For me it was my wairuatanga, alluring me to a space with a deep sense that there was a reason I needed to be there at that time. It was that strong spiritual belief that enabled me to listen to that and to go into the space the pūkoro was being held.
How did I know and understand the construction of the kete pūkoro?. This was about my Mōhiotanga, using my own tacit knowledge, years of observation and passion to engage with a taonga left from a kairaranga of the past century.
What was the purpose of reconstructing this taonga? – This is about the mātauranga imbued in the construction of the Kete Pūkoro. It was to engage in further research to find out more detail beyond what I already knew.
How can I best share this knowledge and practice? – This is about Māramatanga, as I have been always taught, there is no point knowing a skill, and information if it is not shared.

text: Taonga tuku iho: Intergenerational transfer of raranga and whatu The intergenerational transfer of Māori weaving knowledge is based on the succession and continuum of raranga and whatu skills. This study will show how the genesis of inherent know-ledge and skills imbues the nature and continuity of our own cultural practice, especially specific to raranga, whatu and wider areas such as tukutuku. Kaupapa Māori research methodology u-sing the framework of Te Aho tapu provides the methodological approach for this research.  In particular I draw upon the experiences of our whānau and the pedagogical processes used by five generations to define the fundamental underpinnings of a Kaupapa Māori approach to knowledge transfer within, and between, generations of whānau and hapū. Another important driving force behind this work is a need to express the actual practice of intergenerational trans-mission as evidence of the centrality of ako or Māori pedagogy in terms of raranga.
The research questions I pose, are based around the difference between, mōhiotanga, mātauranga, māramatanga and mahi within in a raranga and whatu context.
What is the importance of indigenous intergenerational knowledge transmission through raranga/whatu?
Is it possible to understand the skills and intricacies of an artefact that gives us knew, yet old knowledge from the expertise left by our kairaranga?
The creative component of this research includes as a feature the reproduction of a kete pūkoro, also known as a pututu, especially in the northern tribal dialects (Williams, 2005). The pūkoro is held in the the Otago Museum and the kairaranga has not been identified. The Ngai Tahu dialect emphasise this kete is a pūkoro (Dr J.Williams, personal communication, 2015) which is the term I utilise throughout this research as an acknowledgement to the kairaranga from the southern region of Otakau. A kete pūkoro is a finely woven kete which was used to squeeze the juice from the tutu berries (Beever, 1991). The pūkoro is the only known such taonga that exists and is so fragile that it‘s no longer exhibited. The fragility of the piece is prone to damage through touch, movement and light exposure, so is kept in a temperature controlled draw in the Otago Museum, Dunedin. The uniqueness of this piece of work is the construction, form and the function. The pūkoro sits at the centre of the practice for this research as an example of intergenerational knowledge transfer of the taonga. The raranga technique will be analyzed and the function and form will be replicated to understand more about the kairaranga through the making of the pūkoro. The artefact will be researched and analyzed considering every detail possible, documenting, and reflecting on the processes. Whilst the pūkoro is the centre piece that shows the refinement of knowledge of the kairaranga, it demonstrated the skills and ability to produce a taonga that could be used as a practical kete for sieving out the poisonous kernels of the tutu, only allowing the juice to be strained through it.
Why the pūkoro?
When I first came upon the pūkoro, it was only by osmosis. The pūkoro was stored away in a dark area, and I was attracted to the space where it was stored while viewing kete whakairo that were put out for display for me. I was the kaiako at Otago University for the Toi Onamata classes within Te Tumu, the Māori and Pacific studies Faculty. I arranged with the museum curator to view the kete whakairo in their collection.
I felt drawn to that part of the museum after feeling a strong sense of needing to see what was kept in the dark. I had a strong feeling and attraction to viewing what was kept in the dark, so I asked the curator if I could see what was kept in that space. I was told it was a very fragile kete made of harakeke which they considered was an un-usual shape and it was noted that it was a very old piece. and that the shape of it was unusual, and it was a very old. This made me more curious, as there was something particularly that I was alluring about me to this taonga.
When closely analysing the piece, I realised I could not see the commencement or completion. With closer inspection of the construction, it became more obvious to me, as a kairaranga that the skills and technical detail of horizontal and vertical twills of overlaying patterns used, were woven that way for a purpose.
From that first viewing, I was able to tell the curator, exactly what this artefact was used for, what material it was made out of and that the technical construction of the kete pūkoro was different from others I had viewed before.
It was this moment in time, that I had an epiphany, that this piece of work could tell a story of the unknown kairaranga. I decided right from that point, that I would try my best to bring to light the technical ability of the raranga weave and why it was constructed in such a way.
Like anything, further research needed to be done on the pūkoro, to understand the purpose of this fine piece of work. This was the impetus of my study. The questions I asked myself were:
Why was I attracted to this dark space? For me it was my wairuatanga, alluring me to a space with a deep sense that there was a reason I needed to be there at that time. It was that strong spiritual belief that enabled me to listen to that and to go into the space the pūkoro was being held.
How did I know and understand the construction of the kete pūkoro?. This was about my Mōhiotanga, using my own tacit knowledge, years of observation and passion to engage with a taonga left from a kairaranga of the past century.
What was the purpose of reconstructing this taonga? – This is about the mātauranga imbued in the construction of the Kete Pūkoro. It was to engage in further research to find out more detail beyond what I already knew.
How can I best share this knowledge and practice? – This is about Māramatanga, as I have been always taught, there is no point knowing a skill, and information if it is not shared.

year: 2022

title: Youth Development Circles: A Report on a School Trial

authors: Hannah, Belinda Anne

subjects: Youth Development Circles

abstract: This research traces the development and trial of the Youth Development Circle (YDC) process in a low decile secondary school in a rural community in Aotearoa New Zealand. Youth Development Circles are an intervention based on restorative justice principles initially proposed by Braithwaite (2004). They were originally suggested as a strategy for use in an alternative education centre or “activity centre”.  Increasing use of restorative approaches has enabled many schools to make significant progress in reducing suspensions, but there remains a concern for students whose behaviour is at the more serious end of the spectrum - who are at risk of suspension, or exclusion, after multiple stand-downs from school.  The possibilities for the use of YDC were proposed to the school by the researcher, who is a Deputy Principal responsible for behaviour management and pastoral care.  This proposal was supported fully by the school’s staff and Board of Trustees.  The YDC process documented in this study was developed by the researcher, informed by a range of sources including Youth Development Circles, Judge McElrea’s proposed School Community Conference (1996), and Hui Whakatika, developed at the University of Waikato (2003).  Participation in the circles was a condition for the student to remain at the school. The school is a state school, with a roll of approximately 800. The ethnic breakdown of the students is 56% Māori and 39% NZ European with 5% of Pasifika, Asian and other.  

The YDC is a deliberate and careful process which aims to bring increased focus on the individual student and their educational outcomes, through engaging a community of care in supporting them. There were many anticipated benefits of the YDC for the student. Such benefits included an opportunity to establish and maintain healthy relationships of trust (within which negative experiences can be learned from), a re-establishment of trust, improved self-confidence and improved educational outcomes. The circles included members of the student’s whānau/family, a kaumātua/elder who cared about them, and representatives from local Police, Social Welfare, and the school.  The circles were studied over a period of one year.  Circles met regularly throughout this time, at increasing intervals.

A mixed method case study approach was used for this research which includes the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data. The study evaluated the effectiveness of the YDCs by analysing student behaviour, attendance and achievement KAMAR data, minutes of each circle meeting, and interviews with circle participants.


Three student case studies are presented.  The stories have had details altered and pseudonyms used to protect the persons involved. All the students completed the academic year without receiving a further stand down or suspension.  The data showed an improvement in student attendance, achievement and engagement in all three case studies.  Other outcomes include reflections on the process used, strategies for implementation in the school, and factors that either hindered or supported student, family or community involvement in YDCs. 

This exploratory study suggests that the Youth Development Circle could offer a unique possibility for inter-sectorial collaboration in the field of restorative justice.

text: Youth Development Circles: A Report on a School Trial This research traces the development and trial of the Youth Development Circle (YDC) process in a low decile secondary school in a rural community in Aotearoa New Zealand. Youth Development Circles are an intervention based on restorative justice principles initially proposed by Braithwaite (2004). They were originally suggested as a strategy for use in an alternative education centre or “activity centre”.  Increasing use of restorative approaches has enabled many schools to make significant progress in reducing suspensions, but there remains a concern for students whose behaviour is at the more serious end of the spectrum - who are at risk of suspension, or exclusion, after multiple stand-downs from school.  The possibilities for the use of YDC were proposed to the school by the researcher, who is a Deputy Principal responsible for behaviour management and pastoral care.  This proposal was supported fully by the school’s staff and Board of Trustees.  The YDC process documented in this study was developed by the researcher, informed by a range of sources including Youth Development Circles, Judge McElrea’s proposed School Community Conference (1996), and Hui Whakatika, developed at the University of Waikato (2003).  Participation in the circles was a condition for the student to remain at the school. The school is a state school, with a roll of approximately 800. The ethnic breakdown of the students is 56% Māori and 39% NZ European with 5% of Pasifika, Asian and other.  

The YDC is a deliberate and careful process which aims to bring increased focus on the individual student and their educational outcomes, through engaging a community of care in supporting them. There were many anticipated benefits of the YDC for the student. Such benefits included an opportunity to establish and maintain healthy relationships of trust (within which negative experiences can be learned from), a re-establishment of trust, improved self-confidence and improved educational outcomes. The circles included members of the student’s whānau/family, a kaumātua/elder who cared about them, and representatives from local Police, Social Welfare, and the school.  The circles were studied over a period of one year.  Circles met regularly throughout this time, at increasing intervals.

A mixed method case study approach was used for this research which includes the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data. The study evaluated the effectiveness of the YDCs by analysing student behaviour, attendance and achievement KAMAR data, minutes of each circle meeting, and interviews with circle participants.


Three student case studies are presented.  The stories have had details altered and pseudonyms used to protect the persons involved. All the students completed the academic year without receiving a further stand down or suspension.  The data showed an improvement in student attendance, achievement and engagement in all three case studies.  Other outcomes include reflections on the process used, strategies for implementation in the school, and factors that either hindered or supported student, family or community involvement in YDCs. 

This exploratory study suggests that the Youth Development Circle could offer a unique possibility for inter-sectorial collaboration in the field of restorative justice.

year: 2015

title: The effects of terrigenous sediment on the behaviour of Macomona liliana (Bivalvia) in permeable sediments: Implications for porewater exchange

authors: McCartain, Lisa

subjects: Bivalve

abstract: Catastrophic sedimentation events create one off disturbances that can cause mass mortality events in receiving estuaries. In contrast, the deposition of small amounts of terrigenous sediment (TS) is on-going and likely to have long-term consequences for benthic communities who, play important roles in ecosystem functioning. The aim of this thesis was to look at the effects of small amounts of TS on the behaviour of an infaunal deposit-feeding bivalve (Macomona liliana), which may have implications for sediment porewater fluxes and ecosystem functioning. To determine the effect of TS on behaviour, mesocosm experiments in a recirculating flume tank were run. Time lapse imagery was used to capture surface activity, and high resolution pressure sensors were buried within the sediment and captured changes in hydraulic activity. The effect of three TS treatments were tested, low, high and mixed. The low and high treatments were surface additions of TS (0.09 g cm -2 and 0.20 g cm -2, respectively) and represented the initial deposition and build-up of TS. The mixed treatment, mixed 0.20 g cm -2 through the top 2 cm of sediment, to mimic the incorporation of TS into marine sediments over time. Behaviours were observed pre- and post-treatment addition, and were compared to determine the effect of TS on M. liliana behaviour. The surface (top 2 cm) sediment properties were measured to determine the degree of surface modification by the TS treatments.
TS significantly modified the properties of the sediment surface and the hydraulic conductivity. These caused subtle, but significant, changes in some of the behaviours observed in M. liliana, and on a whole, behaviour which bioturbated the sediment surface decreased. Two feeding modes were observed at the surface, deposit-feeding and suspension-feeding/ventilation. There was a switch in feeding modes, from deposit-feeding to suspension-feeding/ventilation, in the low and mixed treatments. The duration of suspension-feeding/ventilation was, on average, three times longer than deposit-feeding, across all treatments, therefore a switch in modes altered the temporal patterns of sediment pressurisation. The amplitude of sediment pressurisation during feeding was significantly increased in the mixed treatment (up to 5× higher) as a result of decreased hydraulic conductivity. Additionally, the pressure signal measured during deposit-feeding was twice that of suspension-feeding/ventilation in the mixed treatment. 
Collectively the short-term changes in M. liliana behaviour are likely to increase sediment stability and the persistence of TS in the environment, potentially causing long-term degradation to habitat and M. liliana condition. As a result of reduced hydraulic conductivity, larger porewater fluxes are likely to be generated in the mixed treatment, and this would be two fold larger during deposit-feeding than in suspension-feeding/ventilation. This paired with the different temporal scales of the two feeding modes, and the observed switches in feeding modes, would have important consequences for geochemical conditions. Rather than short periods of high pressurisation, there would be longer periods of smaller pressurisations, which would increase the duration of sediment oxygenation, but reduce the porewater flux. This is likely to promote more stable geochemical conditions, which when compared to oscillating conditions, has been shown to reduce nutrient recycling and estuarine productivity.

text: The effects of terrigenous sediment on the behaviour of Macomona liliana (Bivalvia) in permeable sediments: Implications for porewater exchange Catastrophic sedimentation events create one off disturbances that can cause mass mortality events in receiving estuaries. In contrast, the deposition of small amounts of terrigenous sediment (TS) is on-going and likely to have long-term consequences for benthic communities who, play important roles in ecosystem functioning. The aim of this thesis was to look at the effects of small amounts of TS on the behaviour of an infaunal deposit-feeding bivalve (Macomona liliana), which may have implications for sediment porewater fluxes and ecosystem functioning. To determine the effect of TS on behaviour, mesocosm experiments in a recirculating flume tank were run. Time lapse imagery was used to capture surface activity, and high resolution pressure sensors were buried within the sediment and captured changes in hydraulic activity. The effect of three TS treatments were tested, low, high and mixed. The low and high treatments were surface additions of TS (0.09 g cm -2 and 0.20 g cm -2, respectively) and represented the initial deposition and build-up of TS. The mixed treatment, mixed 0.20 g cm -2 through the top 2 cm of sediment, to mimic the incorporation of TS into marine sediments over time. Behaviours were observed pre- and post-treatment addition, and were compared to determine the effect of TS on M. liliana behaviour. The surface (top 2 cm) sediment properties were measured to determine the degree of surface modification by the TS treatments.
TS significantly modified the properties of the sediment surface and the hydraulic conductivity. These caused subtle, but significant, changes in some of the behaviours observed in M. liliana, and on a whole, behaviour which bioturbated the sediment surface decreased. Two feeding modes were observed at the surface, deposit-feeding and suspension-feeding/ventilation. There was a switch in feeding modes, from deposit-feeding to suspension-feeding/ventilation, in the low and mixed treatments. The duration of suspension-feeding/ventilation was, on average, three times longer than deposit-feeding, across all treatments, therefore a switch in modes altered the temporal patterns of sediment pressurisation. The amplitude of sediment pressurisation during feeding was significantly increased in the mixed treatment (up to 5× higher) as a result of decreased hydraulic conductivity. Additionally, the pressure signal measured during deposit-feeding was twice that of suspension-feeding/ventilation in the mixed treatment. 
Collectively the short-term changes in M. liliana behaviour are likely to increase sediment stability and the persistence of TS in the environment, potentially causing long-term degradation to habitat and M. liliana condition. As a result of reduced hydraulic conductivity, larger porewater fluxes are likely to be generated in the mixed treatment, and this would be two fold larger during deposit-feeding than in suspension-feeding/ventilation. This paired with the different temporal scales of the two feeding modes, and the observed switches in feeding modes, would have important consequences for geochemical conditions. Rather than short periods of high pressurisation, there would be longer periods of smaller pressurisations, which would increase the duration of sediment oxygenation, but reduce the porewater flux. This is likely to promote more stable geochemical conditions, which when compared to oscillating conditions, has been shown to reduce nutrient recycling and estuarine productivity.

year: 2013