Blessing of Fale Māpura - a safe space for Māori and Pacific learners
The first of April was a special day for Media Design School (MDS) – the blessing of the Fale Māpura, a dedicated safe space for Māori and Pacific learners to talanoa (discuss), interact and learn in a cultural affirming environment.
Dr Haare Williams (Ngāi Tūhoe and Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki), shared his vast experiences as an educator and broadcaster, encouraging all students to be proud of their identity and to use it as a cultural strength to empower their careers.
Our Māori and Pacific Peoples matawhānui (vision) is at the heart of our work in Aotearoa and aligns with our Be Good values by creating a four-year blueprint to elevate the voice and knowledge of Māori and Pacific learners, staff and students. We are guided by five key principles to embed cultural connectedness and awareness in our everyday life at MDS:
Manaakitanga: Exemplifying mana (honour) with respect, generosity and caring for others.
Kaitiakitanga: Exemplifying trustworthiness and guardianship.
Ahurutanga: Ensuring a safe environment for all participants.
Tū Tangata: Empowering all participants in our journey forward in life.
Whanaungatanga: Ensuring kinship principals with full, respectful engagement as an intrinsic part of shared and diverse cultural communities.
A big thank you to our students Leigh Punivalu, Clancy Duncan and Lita Vatuvei for making the opening extra special.
