Te Rau Tītapu is an ongoing wānanga project based in and around in the Waipoua Forest Community. It was initiated in late 2011 to study wānanga – as a process not an institution – with the purpose of creating models of 'ideal' wānanga for implementation by iwi communities not just in Te Tai Tokerau, but around the country. 

The project seeks to understand how the convening of wānanga can benefit communities and how marae / hapū / iwi can work to strengthen, deepen and improve them. It is hoped that the study of ideal wānanga models will contribute to fostering the creativity and innovation that is taking place within iwi communities.  

In this living case study, a series of wānanga were conducted by the Waipoua Community itself to observe how wānanga foster the identity and cohesion of the community.  The project also looked at how the process of wānanga contributes to the sharing of knowledge with participants and creates new knowledge both about the wānanga process and about how to foster tangata whenuatanga within the community.

Ultimately the purpose of the project was to settle upon a set of imperative features that will give shape to a model of wānanga that is most effective at building cohesion and strong identity within the community of Waipoua. In addition, the model would also improve the quality and efficacy of wānanga events that act as a process or contribute to knowledge sharing and knowledge creation.

Wānanga are a critical tool by which to foster creativity and innovation within iwi communities and this project sought to initiate an indigenous methodology that could assist iwi in the development of quality decision-making process through the use of well-managed wānanga. Indigenous creativity is vitally important to iwi development as it increases self-reliance and independence, and it fosters resilience and confidence. 

This film - Te Hiringa o te Tangata - is the second documentary that has been produced from the project, and provides an insight into the processes and people involved in the creation of a waka made of local Kauri. This waka became a focal point for the wānanga, bringing local community members together and exploring their relationship with the whenua (land).

This film was produced and directed by Dan Nathan - Netana Productions.

The first documentary - Te Pito o te Rohe - can be viewed on the Media Centre website here

For more information on this project please contact Eamon Nathan