Week 9 Term 2 - Totara House: Understanding Manaakitanga (June 23 - June 27)

Totara House Assembly - Manaakitanga - 23/05/25 

In Term 1 Totara House spent time exploring, defining and confirming our House Values for 2025. I reflected on this journey and the values that we agreed on that would be our set of House Values for 2025 in my blog post in the last week of Term 1 - see Alby's Blog Post Entry: 30/03/25. The House Values that the Totara House Leadership Team shared and released to the House in Term 1 for this year are: 

Manaakitanga

Kotahitanga

Aroha

This term we focused on Manaakitanga and used the school Haka and Waiata as a vessel to explore Manaakitanga. In this post I will share what Totara House did in relation to Manaakitanga and the purpose behind it. 

MANAAKITANGA: (noun) hospitality, kindness, generosity, support - the process of showing respect, generosity and care for others.

What I have learnt as a beginning learner of Te Reo Maori that the literal translation of a word does not fully encompass the deeper context, meaning and definition. Understanding Manaakitanga requires one to see it, experience it and feel it through a Te Ao Maori lens. As a Samoan, this is something that I am learning and exploring in my own pedagogy and journey as an educator. What I have learnt from my Maori colleagues and experts is that Manaakitanga is centered around the reciprocity of kindness, respect, hospitality and humility. In the workplace it can be seen as being a responsible host, taking care of others, caring and nurturing the workplace environment, respecting each other's ethnicity and space. 

Totara House Assembly - Manaakitanga - 23/05/25

As the Dean of Totara House, I believe it is my duty to ensure that all of these aspects of Manaakitanga are in tact in how I lead the House. I believe it is my duty to ensure that the students in my House have a sense of belonging, that they feel like Totara is their home, that they respect everything and everyone in it, that they take care of others (staff and peers). One way that the House Leaders and I wanted to bring this to life and to exercise Manaakitanga was through the teaching and learning of our school Haka and Waiata. 

Totara House Assembly - Manaakitanga - 23/05/25

I believe that Haka and Waiata is a powerful vessel to introduce, integrate and celebrate Te Reo Maori to not only Maori students but all students. At our last House Assembly (Friday May 23 - Week 4 Term 2) Manaakitanga was the central theme for our Whanau time. The House Leaders spoke about Manaakitanga, what it means to them and then we spent the remainder of the assembly learning the school Haka. An important aspect of Manaakitanga is ensuring that people feel at home and that they respect the environment. Learning the Haka is reinforcing the sense of home, belonging and identity in which the Haka embodies. Respecting the environment links with the Haka because it is sacred to our environment and our kura. We are encouraged that all of the students from Totara House participated and got involved in the kaupapa that we were driving. Regardless of age, ethnicity or year level - we wanted to encourage all of our students to get involved in the learning and sharing of Te Reo Maori. This was our of not just talking about Manaakitanga but showing Manaakitanga in way that was engaging and meaningful for both our akonga and kaiako. 

Totara House Assembly - Manaakitanga - 23/05/25

I am in no means an expert on Manaakitanga and fully understand my limitations with Te Reo Maori. I believe that honouring Te Tiriti as an educator is centered around incorporating, integrating and celebrating Te Reo Maori whether you are fluent or not. We look forward to exploring Kotahitanga and Aroha (our other House Values) in Term 3.