Siddharth Pilli joined the communications team on work placement from the Whaikaha programme. He will be sharing stories with you across Semester 2.
“I attended a wānanga on 7 August 2024, where I participated in various activities from 9:15 am to 2:15 pm. During the morning, I went to the Marae and learned about Māori culture and history.
For example, I was initially unaware of the fact that Queen Victoria raised a Māori child and arranged for him to have an English education. I also learned that Māori received a British flag from Prince William the Third as a gift. I learned that Māori allied themselves with Britain because they saw British people protesting against slavery.
Later, I created a poi using a plastic bag, cotton as stuffing and a wool rope. In the afternoon, I participated in a poi dance. After that, I listened to Dave, our teacher play the Didjeridoo. The next event was meditation, which was followed by holding hands. These last events made me feel calm and provided me with serenity.
Hamza is a student who attended the wānanga programme. He participated in two activities I participated in, which were making poi and meditation with Dave. Hamza enjoyed gaining the hard skill of making poi because it was DIY. Wānanga enabled Hamza’s personal growth by teaching him about the history of New Zealand and Māori culture. Overall, Hamza believes that Unitec is useful for connecting people to the world around them and teaching respect for Māori culture.
In summary, wānanga provided both of us a sense of interconnection with people and nature. This is why wānanga is an essential part of the Unitec experience.”
About Siddharth Pilli
I was born on September 16, 2002. I am blind in my left eye, with low vision in my right eye. I am interested in learning about other cultures and religions. My most useful skill is research, which I carry out using my BrailleNote Touch.