Hinetara Pōtaka

Language Nests

Hinetara Pōtaka was born in Te Puke and received her secondary education at Queen Victoria College, Auckland. Her list of achievements is astounding and covered work with the Māori Women’s Welfare League (she founded the Maketu Branch), the Kōhanga Reo Movement, and training in Māori Education.

Listen as Hine talks about the Kōhanga Reo movement. In this bilingual interview we hear the voice of a second woman, identified only as Josephine. If you are able to identify Josephine please contact us, we would love to add her details and enhance our catalogue record.

Collection reference 42497
Year 1993
Credits Interviewer: Tawini Rangihau

Working in Education

From 1978-88 Hinetara Pōtaka worked as a pre-school officer for the Māori Education Foundation. In her first year, she conducted research that assisted with the foundation of the Kōhanga Reo. In her role as a Māori Education Foundation field officer Pōtaka devised a bicultural programme called the Māori Education Foundation Family Education Programme aimed at filling the need to learn the Māori language and cultures.

In this excerpt Pōtaka talks about a programme aimed at co-ordinating the five senses and we hear the voice of a second woman, identified only as Josephine. If you are able to identify Josephine please contact us, we would love to add her details and enhance our catalogue record.

Collection reference 42497
Year 1993
Credits Interviewer: Tawini Rangihau

Marae as Learning Spaces

Hinetara lived in Maketū near Te Puke, Bay of Plenty, she worked in both education and the kiwi fruit industry with her husband, and maintained strong connections with her marae.

Pōtaka talks about the marae as a learning resource, and about the value of play as a tool for learning.

Collection reference 42497
Year 1993
Credits Interviewer: Tawini Rangihau

The Baskets of Knowledge

Throughout her life Pōtaka won numerous awards, including Te Puke Rotary Meritorious Award (1973), the NZ Scout Movement Medal of Merit (1975), the Soroptimist Women of the Year Award, Tauranga (1976) and the OBE in 1976. She has been awarded the Queen's Women’s Suffrage Medal, and Companion of the New Zealand Merit.

In this clip Pōtaka talks about the baskets of knowledge.

Collection reference 42497
Year 1993
Credits Interviewer: Tawini Rangihau

Spirituality

Spirituality and communication development were cornerstone principles to Pōtaka. Listen as she speaks about the mana of water, spiritual and communication development.

Collection reference 42497
Year 1993
Credits Interviewer: Tawini Rangihau

Whānau Āwhina

Hinetara Pōtaka had a long career in education. In 1990, at the age of 66, she started a private training establishment called Whānau Āwhina: Education Services Trust which is based in her hometown of Maketu.

In this excerpt Hinetara passes the baton to her colleague who explains the concepts behind Whānau Āwhina. We hear the voice of a second woman, identified only as Josephine. If you are able to identify Josephine please contact us, we would love to add her details and enhance our catalogue record.

Collection reference 42497
Year 1993
Credits Interviewer: Tawini Rangihau