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Reka te Rutu Pa‘u - teacher support material

by Tuaine Robati

This story supports Unit 14 (‘Āpi‘i/School).

Schools, ECE centres and education providers can order this storybook from Down the back of the chair. Enter item number MOE33626 into the search box.

Text features

The language features of this story include:

  • language that locates something in relation to the speaker – tēia, tēnā mai, tēnā
  • words to express time – ora, tuātau, āpōpō
  • the names for different kinds of drums
  • simple questions and responses about where people are – “Tei ‘ea te katoa‘anga ō te aronga rutu?” “Tēia a Michael rāua ko Junior.”
  • the use of ‘e before a name – ‘E Matake‘u, ‘e Michael
  • idiomatic language – kua papa, nāku e kāpiki

The cultural features of this story include:

  • the kāpiki (call), which is the first stage in a drumming performance (see note below)
  • the use of a humorous simile – “ ‘Akatikatika ‘ia tātou, tu‘etu‘e te ‘oro‘enua!” in the kāpiki
  • the fact that the drummers include two girls (it is becoming more common to have female drummers)
  • the use of the term Pāpā as a sign of respect
  • the names of the students, which reflect the cultures of different areas of the Cook Islands and also the influence of English– Faimau is a name from the Northern group, and Mateke‘u and Mereana are names from the Southern group. Viriamu and Mereana are transliterations of the English names William and Maryanne respectively.

Note: Before the drum dance begins, a call is sent out to let the drummers know that it is time to begin. The drummer of the single drum then begins to set the pace and rhythm. The rest of the drummers join in at different times. The last drummer to join in is usually the player of the pa‘u or bass drum.

Supports and challenges

Students who have completed up to Unit 14 of I-E-KO-KO! may find it easy to:

  • read and understand phrases for greeting and praise – meitaki ma‘ata and reka tikāi
  • read, and understand how to say, what they would like or want
  • read and understand the expressions for numbers and time that they learned in Unit 6.

Students who have read the Tupu book Pupu Rutu Pa‘u (Ministry of Education, 2010) may be familiar with the names and sounds of Cook Islands drums.

Students who have not gone beyond Unit 14 of I-E-KO-KO! may find it challenging to:

  • learn the Cook Islands Māori phrase for “says [name]” – ‘i nā [name] āi
  • differentiate between the names for different pātē
  • identify words for drumsticks (tōkere), and the different kinds of drums, for example, pa‘u mangō
  • read longer sentences with more than one idea – “Matake‘u, nāku ē kāpiki, nā‘au e ‘akamata mai ‘i te rutu
  • use words like Ei! that rely on an action for expansion – “Ei, tēia tā‘au pātē”
  • understand what is meant by the word kāpiki (call) and the use of a humorous simile.

Readers who hear Cook Islands Māori at home may find the idiomatic language used by Pāpā Faimau familiar, which will support their reading, but for other readers, this language may be challenging.

Planning: Teaching as inquiry

Consider your students’ interests and their ability to read in Cook Islands Māori at this level and choose activities that provide appropriate content and support. Assess and reflect on the effectiveness of your teaching and the students’ learning, then plan next steps.

Curriculum links and links to I-E-KO-KO! An Introduction to Cook Islands Māori

The New Zealand Curriculum: Learning Languages (levels 1–2)

  • Students will receive and produce information. (levels 1–2)

Cook Islands Māori in the New Zealand Curriculum

Students should be able to:

  • use basic expressions to indicate time … (level 1)
  • express their feelings, emotions, and needs (level 2).

I-E-KO-KO! An introduction to Cook Islands Māori

Unit 8: Students will be able to:

  • work in groups to gather information about a specific [aspect of] a Cook Islands celebration [drumming].

Unit 14: Students will be able to:

  • use basic expressions to indicate time and place.

A possible teaching goal

Students could learn to name Cook Islands drums and/or to compare the information in two books on the same topic.

Click here to go to Activities.


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