Initiation au tikanga Māori: une journée découverte 

Sharne McGarvey (Ngāti Porou, Ngai Tūhoe) was born and raised in Porirua. A career with the New Zealand Customs Service saw a move to Auckland, New Zealand and then back to Wellington, New Zealand where he would eventually meet Christelle, a French citizen who is now the mother of their two young children. After stint in the UK, a return back to New Zealand found Sharne longing to better understand his whakapapa and culture. 

Sharne learnt basics in tikanga through the New Zealand school system, kapa haka, and whānau gatherings. He persevered to understand more, attending evening classes with Te Wananga o Aotearoa, learning Te Reo Māori to a conversational level, tikanga and other aspects of the Māori culture. He chose as his Masters Thesis to explore the challenges and complexities of developing whenua Māori (Māori land) focusing on his Tūrangawaewae (standing place) of Waipiro Bay. 

For Sharne, his knowledge is a taonga (giving) worth giving. It is a way for him to pay homage to his tipuna (ancestors) before him, an acknowledgement to the many Kaiako (teachers) who have tautoko (supported) him through his life journey, and a responsibility not only to people who have a desire to learn, but to his own children.

Jacqui Lucquin (Ngati Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine) is originally from Ahuriri (Napier), then Papaioea (Palmerston North), where she worked primarily as a teacher. Following her passion for all things French,  she moved permanently to Paris 8 years ago with her French husband and their two youngest children. While recognising the necessity of immersing herself in her adopted French culture, Jacqui also acknowledges the importance of maintaining a link with Aotearoa New Zealand, particularly for her children, 

and a responsibility to value te Ao Maori (the Maori world). 

This workshop gives Jacqui the opportunity to reconnect with her Maori heritage, and share it with others.

Sharelle Govignon-Sweet, a descendant of Te Pakakohi, Ngā Ruahine, Tuhoe & Te Whānau a Apanui, was born and raised in Porirua, the region of Ngāti Toa Rangatira, just north of Wellington. Growing up as a Māori/Pākeha and surrounded by a diversity of different cultures has given Sharelle the tools and a passion for navigating different cultural terrains with curiosity, flexibility and openness. With this in mind, she moved to France with her French husband to learn more about his culture and to get to know his family better.  Twelve years and 2 children later, she works part-time as an English teacher across tertiary institutions, with a particular focus on cross cultural communications, and she continues to host workshops about Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Māori culture.

Sharelle continually seeks opportunities to develop her connection and understanding of te ao Māori and is always looking for ways to incorporate te ao Māori into her family’s life, whether that’s learning te reo Māori online, singing waiata, doing artwork or playing games centred around Māori values, talking to the kids about the history or current affairs, and constantly reminding them about their relatives and ancestors.  This workshop provides Sharelle an opportunity to simply ‘be’ Māori in France, something she is always striving for.