The delegation met with a number of different communities, including the LaiYi tribe.
A postgraduate tauira Māori who recently participated in a delegation visiting indigenous communities in Taiwan says the trip has been both empowering for himself and the connections made between the two groups.
Master of Arts in Māori Studies student Maioha Watson (Waikato) was one of five tauira Māori from Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka/The University of Otago who spent six weeks in Taiwan as part of an indigenous six-week programme. The delegation also incuded five tauira Māori from Te Herenga Waka (Victoria University).
Te Kete Aronui/Division of Humanities kaiāwhina Tenaya Brown (Te Aitanga a Hauiti ki Uawa) and Te Mapuhi Tutua-Nathan (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Raukawa, Ngāti Awa) from Te Herenga Waka led the delegation.
Among the opportunities for the delegation was connecting with different indigenous communities throughout Taiwan and sharing their knowledge on mahinga kai (food-gathering practices), traditional arts, and waiata. Among the communities were schools akin to kura kaupapa, each showcasing their unique ways to revitalise traditional knowledge within their communities.
For Watson, among the many highlights was the reminder about the many struggles facing indigenous communities within Taiwan, and the role language can play in uniting people.
“As we spent more and more time in the communities, I found the indigenous language was the thread that connected both the kaumātua and the children,” he reflected.
“I thought about the challenges that their ancestors overcame to keep their reo (language) alive. That taonga, the resilience and the power of words resonated with me."
“From that experience, I understand the importance and power of my reo Māori.”
The knowledge he has gained from the trip will help Watson with his research, which will look into how te reo Māori contributes to broader well-being outcomes.
As well as schools and various communities, the delegation also met with National Pingtung University as part of efforts to strengthen a longer-term partnership between the universities.
Speaking to local indigenous network TITV, Brown said the exchange allowed the group to connect as part of a wider indigenous whānau.
“The spiritual connection that we’ve had to the whenua, the land, as well as the people… it’s very much like home,” she said.
“We are very connected to our land. We are very connected to our family. So I guess being able to share that is something that a lot of us are going to take away from this journey”.
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