Te Kāika Moana

We had an early 6:30am start at Trinity Catholic College on Sunday morning with the opening of our new cultural classroom where Māori and Moana languages, cultures and academic success will be homed and shared. We are very thankful to the Board, Project Managers Iain Davis and Brendan Jarvie, the Dunedin Catholic Diocese, and of course our wonderful whānau who have encouraged and supported this vision. We are proud to call our new room Te Kāika Moana - Our Oceanian Home.

For Māori “kāinga” means home. In recognition of our local Kai Tahu iwi “Kāika” is used. For the people of the Tonga, Tokelau and Sāmoa - kāinga/kaiga/’aiga means family.

It is a space where Māori and Students of the Moana can honour and grow within their cultural heritage. A safe space where their languages can be spoken, promoted and supported.

Our opening involved a karanga (thank you to Cherie Ford, a proud ex-Kavanagh student who helped with this), followed by a blessing conducted by our kaumatua Justin Hanning and our chaplain Fr Hook. We were pleased to also include an ‘Ava Ceremony which celebrated the place of our Pasifika community. Finally, to reflect the importance of our Catholic faith in all we do, Fr Hook celebrated Mass in this new space. Our Dean of Māori and Pacific Learners, Amelia Bresanello, and DRS & Pasifika Community Liaison, Moananu Pesamino Tili, have worked hard to make this dream a reality and we know they are going to love Te Kāika Moana.

Thank you to all who came along to be part of this special and memorable morning. We also would like to mention the cultural mentorship of Ulugia Nuu, Tofilau Angela (and the wider Vaeau family), Amie Curtis and Megan Potiki.

“… the Pacific should not be regarded as isolated specks of land in a vast and empty ocean, but rather as a magnificent web of islands connected by countless voyaging pathways.” (Professor Epeli Hau’ofa)