He Waka He Tangata

He Waka He Tangata

Friday, 26 October 2007, 9:52 am
Press Release: Links
UNESCO/Local & Indigenous Knowledge Systems Programme (LINKS)
LINK

LAUNCHED 27 June 2007
He Waka He Tangata
Te Whakatere ā-Iwi-Taketake i te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa CD-ROM

Come on a voyage across the open ocean with seabirds, sea swells and stars as your guides. The LINKS programme and Waikato University are proud to announce the launching of He Waka He Tangata. This updated Maori version of The Canoe Is the People: Indigenous Navigation in the Pacific, is the first edition in an indigenous Pacific language. This unique multimedia tool honours and explores Pacific Islander knowledge of the ocean environment.

"Nā te waka ō tātou tūpuna i hari mai ki konei kia kaua tērā e ngaro i a tātou.Ki te ngaro ana tērā kaupapa i a tātou, tekateka noa iho tātou."
- Tohunga Tārai Waka Hekenukumaingaiwi Puhipi

This updated Maori version includes new videos of Maori master canoe builderHekenukumai Busby. He shares his knowledge on a variety of subjects including ways to prepare and select the right tree to build a canoe and his personal experiences on his grand voyages across the Pacific. His contributions complement those already made by Hoturoa-Barclay Kerr, an active young contributor to the vaka field who works closely with youth. An effort has been made to include contributions from a range of age groups, young and old, in order to help bridge the gap between elders and youth (the target audience).

"We must not forget that it was the canoe that brought our ancestors to this land. If we were to lose this part of our culture, we lose our heritage."
- Maori master canoe builder Hekenukumai Busby

Witness master navigator Mau Piailug presiding over a pwo initiation ceremony on the island of Satawal in Micronesia;
Listen to Sir Tom Davis of Cook Islands describe the challenges and achievements of open ocean wayfaring;
View videos of the building of a 'vaka' or canoe on Satawal Island;
Launch animations that show how the reflection and diffraction of ocean swells allow navigators to detect distant islands;
Read and listen to accounts from across the Pacific about the origin of islands, the origin of sails and how a woman first received the knowledge of navigation from a bird before passing it on to men.
Use interactive maps to trace the ocean pathways of the ongoing Pacific voyaging revival and much more.
Learning about the ocean environment is a life-long process rooted in a web of ecological, social and spiritual relations. The aim of this CD-ROM is not to teach all there is to know about navigation. It gives people a taste of the wealth of knowledge still surviving in the Pacific region. Additionally, in producing a Maori version of the CD-ROM, young people can learn about traditional canoe culture in their vernacular language. This supports one of LINKS' aims, which is to enhance the inter-generational transmission of knowledge. It encourages young people to go into their own communities to find out more - to renew ties with elders and, by doing so, to take part in (and pride in) a voyage of revival.

The Maori version was developed with expert and financial support from Waikato University, New Zealand.

CD-ROM DETAILS
The CD-ROM includes 77 videos, 41 stories and accounts, 40 images and diagrams, of which 11 are animated, in addition to numerous maps, photos and texts. It serves as an educational tool illustrating the vitality of indigenous knowledge, know-how, and identity in meaningful ways for Pacific communities. An educational resource package for teachers and students is under development to support the use of the CD-ROM in classroom settings across the Pacific.

ends

© Scoop Media