Tākaro created the space. Taonga pūoro carried the kōrero. Whānau brought the connection.

What happens when whānau are given the space to slow down,  create, play and shape how mātauranga is carried into the home?

More than 30 whānau came together in Hawkes Bay to wānanga KAIĀIO, a prototype resource exploring the relationship between taonga pūoro, tākaro, hauora and the regulation of energy and wairua within the home.

An ACC funded initiative led by Toi Tangata, the wānanga was centered around creating the conditions for whānau to experience mātauranga through tākaro. Through kōrero about Hine Pū te Hue, whānau dove into whakapapa and the relationship between taonga pūoro and tākaro before making their own pōngaehu, poi āwhiowhio 2-in-1 creations.

The journey was simple: hear the kōrero -  make the taonga -  play - experience the connection.

Kaumātua, pakeke, rangatahi and mokopuna sat alongside one another, the space filled with kōrero, laughter, and the sounds of newly made taonga being played for the first time.

As one of the youngest participants, Nukanoa, shared:

“I liked making my swingything (poi āwhiowhio) and listening to the sound it made.”

Importantly, KAIĀIO was developed as a prototype rather than a finished product. This invited whānau into the process and allowed them to experiment and help shape what KAIĀIO could become.

One participant reflected:

“I’d definitely use this resource to settle the wairua in my whare. I love that it’s a whānau resource and that we got to have an input.”

This is what meaningful co-creation can look like. Whānau aren't simply consulted about a resource but have the opportunity to experience it, contribute to it and help determine what it becomes.

The wānanga didn't end when whānau left. The taonga then travels home with them. It can be picked up by mokopuna, become the beginning of another kōrero or simply sit within the whare as a reminder of the wānanga, the connection and the mātauranga shared.

Tākaro is not simply something whānau participate in. It can be a way whānau participate in the transmission of mātauranga.

Ultimately, KAIĀIO is an invitation to keep that transmission moving, connecting tākaro, taonga pūoro and whānau in ways that support the use of mātauranga as well as the energy, wairua and wellbeing of the whānau and the home.