“Knowing who you are, where you come from, gives you that strength to know you come from greatness” Launching Whangārei Hub Storytelling Project

On October 23rd, we celebrated the launch of three new stories for the Whangārei Hub, a cluster of 43 schools in the Kāhui Ako o Whangārei in Northland, Aotearoa. Together, these schools support more than 20,000 students, each connected through their shared learning and their place.

This Whangārei storytelling project has been a year in the making, co-designed with our wonderful facilitator Dr Lisa Watson. Her guidance and deep understanding of both education and place helped shape a collection of stories and resources that truly reflect the identity of Whangārei. We also thank Ari Carrington, Ethan Pirihi, Te Pou Taiao o Patuharakeke and all Kaumatua from the wider Whangārei region for their wisdom and kōrero.

This mahi strengthens the connection that tamariki have to where they come from. It’s about celebrating te ao Māori, grounding learning in whakapapa, and giving every child the chance to see themselves reflected in their curriculum.

Pictured Left to Right - Matua Taipari Munro, Joanne Hammon (RTLB), Dr Lisa Watson, Matua Ross Smith, Jobi Hopa, Craig McKernan.

Storytelling Rooted in Whenua and Whakapapa: A project for Whangārei tamariki

Each story was crafted from local kōrero and pūrākau, shared by kaumātua and historians of the area. They bring together language, science, and cultural knowledge in ways that help tamariki learn about where they live and why it matters.

Matua Ross Smith reminds us of the whakatakī (Māori proverb) “Mā wai e kawea taku kauae ki tawhiti?”- “Who will carry my jawbone to distant places?”  The jawbone is a metaphor for language, voice, stories, knowledge, and the responsibility to pass on te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori. It was Māui who inherited the jawbone of his grandmother and allowed him to achieve fantastic deeds. ‘Carrying it to distant places’ means taking that knowledge and using it to create impact in our classrooms and beyond-  into communities, the wider world, and future generations. In education, this whakataukī becomes a reflection of the passing on of knowledge, wisdom, and values for all ākonga to strengthen their sense of identity, wellbeing, belonging and success. 

Three Stories for Whangārei

Matariki, Puanga me te Hautapu

This story celebrates the stars and the Hautapu ceremony, the feeding of the stars that marks the Māori New Year. It explores how iwi across Aotearoa look to Matariki and Puanga as a time for reflection, renewal, and gratitude.

Whangārei Terenga Parāoa

An ecological story about the Whangārei harbour, this pūrākau explains the origins of Terenga Parāoa, meaning the gathering place of the whales. It shares how the harbour was used in the past, why it is named as it is, and how we can care for it today. A key theme in this story is the idea that

“Ko au te moana, ko te moana ko au” 

I am the ocean, and the ocean is me. It encourages tamariki to explore kaitiakitanga, manaakitanga, and sustainability, and to see themselves as guardians of the environment.

Marotiri and Taranga

These are the traditional names for the Hen and Chicken Islands. This story reconnects learners with the manawhenua knowledge of these islands, what they were used for, and how they fit within local ecosystems. It weaves together science, history, and cultural understanding, showing how caring for our land and sea is part of caring for each other.

Teaching Resources That Bring the Stories to Life

Beyond the stories themselves, this project includes a set of teaching resources designed by Dr Watson and our learning design team. Teachers now have unit plans that link to Te Whāriki and Te Mātaiaho, supporting learning from early childhood right through to secondary school.

These plans help kaiako bring the stories into their everyday teaching across literacy, science, social studies, the arts, te reo Māori, mathematics and beyond. By learning through the lens of their place, tamariki can make deeper connections to their environment and their identity.

“The teachers are really looking forward to the resource because it comes with ideas, it comes with correct pronunciation, it comes with the story so each teacher can do their strength too. So if they're a sciencey teacher, they could grab hold of that, if they're into waiata they can jump hold of that so it just opens a door to so many possibilities…. Knowing who you are, where you come from, gives you that strength to know - You come from greatness” — Donna Clarke, Acting Principal Glenbervie School

“We'll use them as part of our local curriculum, and integrate them across all areas - like the unit plans for literacy and histories .... integrate it into everything that we do. The visuals especially, the visuals are beautiful.” — Hayley Aldworth, New Entrant Teacher, Te Kura o Tikorangi (Portland School)

“I can see my teachers planning very deliberately to weave these into their social studies curriculum. It's about connection. I really see huge, huge value in our tamariki coming to school and knowing where they come from, who they are, all the local regions and the stories behind them - so they're gonna have a massive impact I think on our kids.” — Danny Jewell, Principal of Whangārei Primary School

A Celebration of Community and Connection

The launch event was a beautiful day filled with aroha, laughter, and pride. It reflected the heart of our kaupapa: connecting learning to place and helping tamariki see themselves as part of something bigger.

We’re so grateful to everyone who contributed, from the local iwi and historians to the teachers, principals, and whānau who will bring these stories to life. This mahi represents true collaboration between educators and community, and we know its impact will continue for many years to come.

We are so humbled to be able to do this mahi and hope that it will have continuing and meaningful impact for many generations to come.