08 Aug Exploring Te Reo Māori and Pūrākau in Exercise Practices
This semester we had the privilege of welcoming Matiu Spring as our Growing the Puna intern. A passionate father, dedicated Body Fit Training (BFT) Trainer, and Exercise Science student, Matiu brought a unique blend of enthusiasm and expertise to this internship. His goal? To explore how te reo Māori, tikanga, and pūrākau could be woven into physical activity, enriching the experience and making it more culturally significant.
Matiu’s journey began at a Mātaiao wānanga in Tāmaki Makaurau, where he immersed himself in te reo Māori, taiao-based learning and physical activity. This wānanga involved paddling to Rangitoto, piki maunga up Rangitoto and a paddle back to shore. This provided the opportunity to delve into the ngā atua of the lands and seas, gaining knowledge, connection and skills such as knot-tying, paddling and water safety tikanga. This first-hand experience sparked a deeper understanding and appreciation of te taiao as a foundation for movement and exercise.
“This internship challenged me to apply my qualifications. It forced me to learn more pūrākau and think more deeply about tikanga and how to apply it to exercise. To this day, I have knowledge and kupu that I use everyday within my mahi,” said Matiu.
Eager to delve deeper, Matiu turned his attention to the pūrākau of Ōtātara Pā, a well-known historic site in the Kahungunu region. Through research and analysis, he extracted elements of this pūrākau and creatively integrated them into a physical activity session held at the Pā itself. The goal was to connect participants not just physically, but culturally and spiritually to the whenua and its history. Matiu brought together 15 participants eager to experience this unique fusion of exercise and cultural storytelling. As a seasoned BFT trainer, Matiu guided the rōpū through a series of movements, each linked to the kōrero and pūrākau of Ōtatara; for example, performing a tūwaewae takahia (a foot movement predominantly performed in kapa haka) for getting the body primed to replicate battle, and paraki (up-down planks) to replicate the part in the pūrākau where they moved in mud, pretending to be fish. The pūrākau behind the movements offered a deeper relevance and connection to the exercises performed.
“The internship helped me think more deeply about pūrākau and the whakapapa of everything, especially after some kōrero with Papa Hemi. It has made me look forward to thinking about ways to use my qualifications within the space of te ao Māori and opened up the possibilities of what I can do.”
Matiu’s project exemplifies the potential of integrating te reo Māori and pūrākau into physical activity, not only as a means of promoting health and fitness but also as a way of fostering cultural connection and storytelling. His work displayed the importance of viewing physical activity through a holistic lens, where our well-being is nurtured alongside te taiao. We were reminded of the power of mātauranga Māori to enhance our practices and connect us more deeply to our whakapapa and te taiao.
Looking ahead, Matiu shared that he would “finish my diploma this semester. In terms of BFT mahi I am currently undertaking a course to upskill and progress as a trainer and I am looking at some Summer mahi with Sport Hawkes Bay to get some Strength and Conditioning experience.”
Offering advice for future interns Matiu emphasised, “Pātai, pātai, pātai. Ask questions, I spent so much time second-guessing and overthinking things that could’ve been sorted a lot sooner if I had just asked the question. Also, get ahead of planning your time as soon as you can, create your timeline and stick to it. There’s so many things that I wanted to do with my project and the only thing that stopped me was my time management. Engage, ask for advice on connections within your field of study, make connections.”
Our Growing the Puna Tākaro Internship is now open for applications. If this sounds like an experience you’d like to be a part of, go to our Growing the Puna page for more info.
Matiu Spring
Matiu Spring joins our 2024 Growing the Puna internship to explore how to integrate te reo Māori, pūrākau, and tikanga into a gym environment.