Wānanga weaves Library whānau together

In April, staff from Te Pātaka Mātauraka, the University of Otago Library, travelled to Puketeraki Marae for a wānanga grounded in mātauranga Māori, whakawhanaungatanga, and cultural growth. Emerging from a period of significant internal change, this gathering offered more than a professional development opportunity. It became a chance to weave together stories, relationships, resilience, and shared purpose.

Associate University Librarian Frank Edwards (Ngāti Kahungunu ki te Wairoa, Ngai Tuhoe, Kai Tahu) reflects on the significance of the wānanga to Te Pātaka Mātauraka, and how tikanga Māori have helped staff find community and challenged pre-conceived notions of where knowledge can be found.

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata. What is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.

The one-day wānanga at Puketeraki Marae was structured like a woven kete—carefully planned, yet open to the flow of the wairua throughout the day. From the early morning departure to the final poroporoaki, every moment added a thread to the collective experience. The raranga session, guided beautifully by Office of Māori Development project manager Kiritea Smith, was both a hands-on activity and a metaphor for the kaupapa: each person contributing their own strand to something greater than themselves.

Resilience and Reconnection

Following a time of major transformation within the library, the wānanga became an opportunity for staff to reconnect, reflect and embrace something unfamiliar, and they did so with courage and heart. For some, this was their first time on a marae; for others, it was a reconnection. Despite apprehension, the atmosphere from the outset was warm and welcoming. One staff member shared:

"I am neurodiverse, so I was particularly nervous... But the positivity was overwhelming. I found myself being more social than I ever thought I could be—which is just a reflection of what an incredible day it was."

Another reflected:

"The day was a triumph… Justin [Hanning] was the best host, the timing was exquisite, and everything from the kōrero to the kai to Gypsy the dog hanging out with us just made it special."

Manaakitanga and a New Understanding of Collections

Our heartfelt gratitude to Justin Hanning and the whānau of Kāti Huirapa ki Puketeraki, who embraced us with the true meaning and feeling of manaakitanga. Justin’s kōrero wove together whakapapa, whenua, and whānau—reminding us that mātauranga lives in stories, in people, and in the landscape itself.

One of the most resonant moments came when Justin welcomed us into their "library", not a building filled with shelves, but the taoka (treasures) of the land, the histories, the taoka puoro, and the lived experiences of their people. It was a beautiful reframing of what collections can be. For many working in libraries, it was a moment of deep reflection and recognition of how mātauranga Māori challenges and enriches Western models of knowledge.

University Librarian Mike Wall laid down a powerful whaikōrero, grounded in the whakatauākī Tūwhitia te hopo, mairangatia te angitu (feel the fear, and do it anyway), which set the tone for a day of openness and growth. The waiata Purea Nei, sung with heart by our own ngā manu tioriori, uplifted the space.

Kiritea’s raranga workshop was a highlight, showing grace and skill in guiding us to create with our hands what we were also building in our hearts. And a taonga puoro session harmoniously improvised by Justin and the whānau adding a soulful note to an already rich day. Alexander Ritchie’s closing kōrero and the taoka gifted to the marae honoured the spirit of the day and the legacy and relationship we hope to continue.

Opening the Door

While the wānanga reflected the aspirations of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the Māori Strategic Framework and Pae Tata, it was first and foremost about the people. At its heart was how we care for one another, how we connect and how we grow together. The whānau of Kāti Huirapa ki Puketeraki opened their home to us, not as visitors to a cultural programme, but as manuhiri welcomed into a space of warmth, generosity, and belonging. Through their stories, their collections, their kai and kōrero they offered us mirimiri: healing and insight through connection – whakawhanaungatanga.

In the simplest terms, it was one whānau saying to another, "nau mai haere mai – Welcome, come in. We will look after you today". In doing so they opened a door for us, not just to be cared for but to understand our responsibility to reciprocate.  That, in essence, is what living according to Te Tiriti looks like: relationships woven with care, guided by respect, nourished through reciprocity and sustained by the enduring tides of relationality and shared purpose.

This wānanga reminded us that our library is not just a system or set of buildings and shelves. It is a community, a whānau, woven from the diverse strands of our people. It reminded us that knowledge does not live only in books, but in people, in whenua, in relationships and in our shared experiences which is exactly what we experienced together. If we can carry that insight into our mahi, we can continue to create spaces of care, connection, and cultural strength. Let this be just the beginning.

Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa – let us keep close together, not wide apart.