Whakapapa

Thursday, 21st September 2023 at 9:00am

Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua: I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past.

The whakataukī or 'proverb' seen above speaks to Māori perspectives of time, where the past, the present and the future are viewed as intertwined, and life is seen as a part of a continuous process.

The whakataukī or 'proverb' seen above speaks to Māori perspectives of time, where the past, the present, and the future are viewed as intertwined, and life is seen as a part of a continuous process.

Green Bay High School's Year 10 Young Writers class has been studying a unit of work entitled: 'I am My Ancestors' Child.'

Students have been investigating the concept of 'whakapapa' and using this knowledge to create poetry based on their own whakapapa and have written on a variety of topics such as their countries of origin, cultural stories and practices, and also the idea of lineage and ancestry. Many students showed a real appreciation of how the present is informed by a deeper understanding of the past.

The class has donated their published 'Whakapapa Poetry' book to the school library - complete with front cover artistry (as seen above) created by Lucy Walker (K10PAR).

Check out this wonderful piece of mahi, which can be easily accessed in the student creation section of the school library.