The Remarkable Reti by Kiwa Hammon and Duane Culshaw→

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A reti is a fishing device, used by Ngāti Pāhauwera to catch kahawai on the Mōhaka River. The iwi regard the reti as a taonga, and the article provides a great example of how traditions, along with stories and waiata, are handed down through the generations.

Matariki and Navigation - Kupe, Cook and Today →

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The 2019 sestercentennial commemoration of Captain Cook's first visit, called Tuia 250 First Encounters, is a time to reflect on the skills and knowledge of the people who discovered and founded Aotearoa New Zealand.
Matariki was originally a solar celebration that marked the solstice and let people commemorate dead and think about new year. Matariki means the eye of the Ariki, as the small star cluster rises just before dawn in early June from the same point that the Sun rises on the north-eastern horizon. This heralds the Māori New Year: a perfect time for our journey of discovery to explore the significance of Matariki; to appreciate the importance of stars in early navigation; to paddle a traditional waka; to explore Cook's landing sites; to use 18th century navigation and charting techniques, and to see how they compare with modern marine navigation and charting.

Tuia Mātauranga - Encounters 250 topic in Science Learning Hub→

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The topic page about Tuia Encounters 250 and Tuia Mātauranga in the Science Learning Hub website. Includes some resources for Tui Kōreroreo: Ngā Pātai.

Roadside Stories by Ministry for Culture and Heritage→

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Roadside Stories is a series of audio guides that follow major road trips in New Zealand. The stories cover the places you’ll pass along the way – their people, their history, their cultural and natural significance.

The star compass – kāpehu whetū in The Science Learning Hub→

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Like the Sun, stars rise in the eastern horizon and set in the western horizon. Navigators who know the direction and position in which the stars rise and set can use the horizon as a compass. Knowledge of the night sky is the most important of the mental constructs of knowledge needed for wayfinding. The star compass was devised to help navigators memorise this knowledge.

Matakohe kauri - Roadside Stories by Ministry for Culture and Heritage→

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Northland was once covered in magnificent kauri forests - but almost all were logged after Europeans arrived in New Zealand. Felling the giant trees was dangerous work, and dams were built so the logs could be floated down rivers. Today a museum at Matakohe showcases the history of kauri forests and their exploitation.

The Canoe Is The People→

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The stars can never go wrong.
Thousands of years ago, when most sailors were still hugging the coast, the island peoples of the Pacific held the knowledge and skills to explore the great ocean paths extending far beyond their homes. Modern instruments didn't exist - no compasses, no radio, no radar (a system that uses electromagnetic waves to locate surrounding objects), no GPS (Global Positioning System, a handheld computer that tells your position by communicating with satellites). The Pacific peoples found their way across the ocean, guided by the wind, waves, stars, and sea life. Voyage into this website to find out more…
Includes teacher and student guides.

Hapuakorari - the lost lake→

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Heading southwest from Pukaha (Mt Bruce) there is a place of significance in a small lake that Maori know as Hapuakorari. It has been located near the headwaters of the Ruamahanga River in the Tararua Mountains for time immemorial. Few people have probably even heard of it but for those that have it is hard not to become fascinated. This is in no small part due to the many stories that have been attributed to the lake and the name Hapuakorari. Hapuakorari was said to have been a place of unparalleled beauty, a sacred place shrouded in mysticism. For a start a legendary bird, the Hokio, lived by the lake in the company of the Kotuku (white heron), Huia, Kereru, and Kaka. Living between beautiful Beech and huge Rimu trees were a variety of rare plants, all surrounding a pebbled beach on the water edge. Within the crystal clear waters massive two headed eels swam.

Journal of Captain Cook's Last Voyage to the Pacific Ocean→

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First hand account of Cook's last voyage, 1776 - 1780, from on board the Discovery (Cook was on board the Resolution). Contains details of the visit to Ship Cove / Meretoto on that voyage, including the flora and fauna as encountered by the crew at the time.

The Land Beneath Our Feet: Resource Kit→

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Understanding relationships exist between people and the environment. Discovering that all iwi have stories connected to the land. Teacher guide for learning about relationships between mana whenua and the land, and how people pass on culture and heritage.
Includes three fact sheets in te reo Māori.

Make your Own Museum: Resource Kit→

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Communicating symbolism, meaning and value using photographic conventions. Teacher guide for working with students to investigate how meaning is communicated and interpreted, understanding the signifigance of personal and national taonga.
Includes resources in te reo Māori.