Anglican luminaries from around the Communion travelled to Te Aute College near Hastings yesterday to receive a formal welcome from mana whenua and Anglican International Leadership Initiative host, Te Pīhopa o Aotearoa Archbishop Don Tamihere. 

Kaikaranga for the manuhiri Wendy Heath (Ngāi Tahu, Waitaha, Kāti Mamoe) led the overseas and local visitors on, while long-serving Te Aute teacher Whaea Liz Graham welcomed them on behalf of the Pīhopatanga and kura. 

First speaker for the home side James Graham (Ngāi Te Whatuiāpiti) welcomed the manuhiri representing their many tribes and nations, honouring the richness in the room, not only of those present, but the stories and geneaologies they carried with them. 

Ngāti Kahungungu kaumatua Jerry Hapuku welcomed the visitors into Aotearoa, Te Aute and Te Whare o Rangi emphasising that even with so much diversity in the room, it was shared belief in God that united all at the gathering.

As the last notes of ‘Whakaaria mai’ ended, Canada’s National Indigenous Archbishop Chris Harper responded with words to amplify the same unity highlighted by mana whenua.

“We hear your song and it is our song too. How great thou art!

We are your relatives – your relations – from across many waters, many lands.

We can show the world that the Creator can bring us together in one voice, in one song.

May strength uphold us and may hope be our banner.

May that hope and that light shine from us.”

Archbishop Sione Uluilakepa concluded the visiting speakers, thanking the hosts for their manaaki that had countered the weather’s chill.

“You have offered us so much aroha and we have been treated to the warmth of your hospitality, hospitality that arises from the love of God. We thank you too for this place of learning that has given life and wisdom to our people who have been in this land as pupils of Te Aute.”

The Rev Canon Cornelia Eaton, who is Canon to the Ordinary for the Episcopal Church in Navajoland was humbled to be invited and welcomed to the land by its indigenous people and excited to join in the community of learning offered by the wānanga taking place over the three days. 

“I am looking forward to hearing the sacred stories and the dreams, the challenges and the struggles and to hearing the hope.

“It’ so important to know that we’re all together in this, that we’re not alone.”

Canon Cornelia also found herself revelling in the atmosphere created by the formal welcome.

“I felt at peace, and I believe that’s a huge part of what Jesus’ ministry is – he is the peace of the world – he said come to me, I give you my peace. I felt that here.”

General Secretary of the Anglican Church in Brazil, Christina Takatsu Winnischofer was fascinated by the pōwhiri, and keen to experience more of the unique ways of meeting offered by the wānanga.

“I want to experience this different way of doing, of being – of timing, of dialogue.

So often we are presented with time goals when we are together and it is so ‘focused, focused, focused’ – it’s all ‘business, business, business.’”

“I would like to experience more of this different way, something more humane.” 

Following the pōwhiri Archbishop Don Tamihere invited the gathered community into the secrets of knowledge embedded in the carvings of the whare whakairo Sir Apirana Ngata had encouraged and supported the kura to build. He pointed out the supporting pou that represent the fourteen Te Aute students who fell in the First World War, whose stories and whakapapa are uphold its walls.

He explained how those students’ geneaologies provided links that still connect every student in the school to their whānau, hapu or iwi in one or many ways.

“Every student who comes here finds an ancestor to whom they belong. They can sit at the base of their pou and know who they are.”

“Systems like this enabled us to retain the knowledge of who we are, to connect back into the body of our ancestors.”

He highlighted the psychological and spiritual value that come in hand with the knowledge the house has to share. 

“[With all this knowledge] you could say we are actively trying to build your mind, but in fact we are trying to empower your spirit.”

Archbishop Don went on to to share how the Māori cultural emphasis on non-written knowledge systems had meant the colonials with their text-based culture had been unable to recognise treasure trove of knowledge held by Māori.

He explained how the ignorance was on the other side, making sure that European viewers missed (or misinterpreted) the whakairo and tukutuku whose complex systems of memory devices underpinned Māori oral histories. 

“There’s an immense encoding of geneaological, historical and philosophical knowledge held in this house, but to eyes that didn’t understand it looked like decoration.”

The Anglican International Leadership Initiative continues its investigation of indigenous ways of knowing over the next two days as Anglican educators and leaders work together on a vision for Indigenous Anglican Leadership.