Te Toki Voyaging Trust’s Hoturoa Kerr (Waikato) is passionate about waka, mātauranga Māori and rangatahi achievement.

In 2008, Te Toki Voyaging Trust, with the support of Te Puni Kōkiri, launched the Rangatahi Waka Hauora project to nurture rangatahi leadership potential and enhance rangatahi life experience through waka. “I’ve been working with our kids for many years, teaching and sharing with them our traditional knowledge, kōrero, whakapapa, history and stories related to waka and our tupuna’s voyaging expertise,” says Hoturoa Kerr.

“With Te Puni Kōkiri’s support we developed the project where rangatahi from secondary schools throughout the Tainui waka region spent five days with us on a waka hourua voyaging around the Hauraki Gulf,” he says.

Fifty-two rangatahi successfully completed the five-day wānanga and gained valuable leadership experience through mātauranga Māori concepts, theory and application of practical demonstrations by undertaking waka training, and voyaging on the project.

“I’m passionate about waka because our kids can learn so much in a short amount of time. Waka teaches everything and anything from how to survive to maths, conservation preservation to health and safety, cooking to cleaning, navigation to astronomy and so much more,” says Hoturoa Kerr. “Waka is a full curriculum that teaches not only all the core subjects but all the necessary kawa and tikanga required to build and support strong future leaders for our communities,” he says. Prior to the voyage 80 percent of rangatahi rated their knowledge of waka as low to medium. After the voyage 100 percent of rangatahi confirmed that their five-day waka hourua voyage had added value to their knowledge base.

“An improved knowledge base will help rangatahi through life and help with future decision making for themselves and their communities,” says Hoturoa Kerr. For more information contact Te Toki Voyaging Trust: nadine.edmonds@twoa.ac.nz.