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We had the privilege of welcoming Welo Ka Hae, a group of students from Roosevelt High School in Hawai‘i who visited us on exchange. In Rotorua, we hosted them for a night full of great kai, whakawhanaungatanga and a lot of dishes (the true marae experience). We also were fortunate enough to attend a special hautapu ceremony led by Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. Hautapu is a traditional ritual where we cook food as an offering to the stars of Matariki. We acknowledge those who have passed, give thanks, and set goals for the year ahead. We woke up early in the morning before the sun had risen and made our way out to the field to join the group. We learnt all about the stars, how to navigate them and honour them. Their haerenga continued to Napier, where we welcomed them onto Te Ara o Tāwhaki marae at EIT with a pōwhiri to begin their 5-day stay in Hawkes Bay. We finished the night with some dinner and whakawhanaungatanga. The next day Toi Matarua did a presentation about what we do, all our different kaupapa and the research we’ve gathered along the way. We also took our manuhiri to Tamatea High School and Te Whare Tāpere, where they experienced different types of schooling in Aotearoa and engaged in cultural exchange. On our last night together, we gathered for kai at our headquarters. We huddled around a bonfire, reflecting on our time together, and the next day, they joined us at our Matariki Ball.
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