Te Kete Ipurangi Navigation:

Te Kete Ipurangi
Communities
Schools

Te Kete Ipurangi user options:

You are here:

English version

Making ngatu the New Zealand way

page 2

It’s Saturday morning.
But I’m going to school.
My parents and my nana are going too.
They are going to make ngatu for the fiftieth anniversary of the school.

page 3

Lots of my friends and their parents are at the school.
The school principal welcomes us.
“Greetings, everyone!”
“Greetings, Principal!”
“Please, come to the school hall.”

page 4

The women carry the ngatu-making materials into the [school] hall.
The men bring food into the kitchen.
They will prepare the food for the women’s breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
But some men will make the ngatu with the women.
That is the New Zealand way.

page 5

My nana is the instructor.
She welcomes everyone.
She says the opening prayer.
Then we all say the Lord’s Prayer together.
My nana asks the parents to sit down.
They sit on the mats. They are ready to begin.

page 6

“Do it like this,” Nana says.
“Is this the right way?” the men ask.
My friends and I watch our parents working hard together.
“Can we join in too?” we ask.
“Of course you can. You need to learn how to make ngatu the New Zealand way,” says Nana.

page 7

We all talk quietly as we make the ngatu together. We sing, laugh, and joke.
Together we make six metres of ngatu, which is thirty hand spans.
What a lot of work! And what a lot of fun!

page 8

At sunset, everyone gathers in the [school] hall.
The ngatu makers present the ngatu to the school principal.
The principal is very happy. He makes a speech.
Then everyone sings. Then there is a big feast.
My friends and I are very proud. We now know how to make ngatu the New Zealand way!
And we can see our ngatu in our [school] hall.
Far out! It’s beautiful!

Back to top ^

Footer:

New Zealand Government

© Crown copyright.