Te Aka Matua
Te Aka Matua
I ahu mai tēnei ingoa i te tipuna nei i ā Tawhaki.
E ai ki ngā kōrero, kōtahi tonu te ara i te kakehanga o Tawhaki (Tānenuiārangi) ki ngā Rangitūhāhā ki te tiki i ngā kete o te wānanga.
Nāna i kapo atu ko Te Aka-Matua i tutuki ai i a ia tēnei mahi āna.
Ka tapaina atu tēnei ingoa ki ngā ākonga o te Kura Tuarua o Whakatane, nātemea ko rātau rā tēnei e rapu nei i te mātauranga. Mā te kapo atu i ngā tohutohu ā Te Aka-Matua, ko te wawata me te tumanako ka tae rātau ki te taumata teitei o te mōhiotanga me te māramatanga.
The name Te Aka-Matua originated from the deeds of our ancestor Tawhaki (Tānenuiārangi). It is said that Tawhaki climbed the heavens to acquire the 3 baskets of Knowledge from Io-Matua Kore; he accomplished this by using Te Aka-Matua. (The parent vine)
We at Whakatāne High School Māori Department have adopted this name to embrace our tamariki, for they too are searching for knowledge and enlightenment.
E ai ki te kōrero;
Mā te whakaatu, ka mōhio, By showing, you get understanding,
Mā te mōhio, ka mārama, By understanding, you get enlightenment,
Mā te mārama, ka mātatau, From enlightenment, you get Knowledge,
Mā te mātatau, ka ora! From Knowledge, you get well-being!
Te Aka Matua Noho
Each year, ākonga from Years 9 through 13 and the kaiako of Te Aka Matua participate in a three-day noho marae within the Ngāti Awa rohe. This annual event centers on whakawhanaungatanga, providing an opportunity to strengthen connections with the manawhenua of Ngāti Awa. Through this experience, we immerse ourselves in local narratives – such as the story of Wairaka – and explore the significant links between our school and these foundational histories.