Games from ‘back in the islands’ helping students reconnect to their culture

Four Ōtara primary schools have come together for a celebration of sport and Pacific culture, thanks to a new initiative by Healthy Families South Auckland (The Cause Collective).

The initiative, called the Village Games movement, is all about getting Pacific children active through learning to play traditional games unique to their heritage.

The games are called Te Bwaani from Kiribati, Heu from Tonga, Lape from Samoa and Te Ano from Tuvalu and pupils from Wymondley Road School, Rongomai School, Flat Bush Primary School and Bairds Mainfreight Primary School came together to play them at a recent festival day.

Lead Systems Innovator Pita Alatini says his team has worked with all the schools individually and then brought them together for some inter-school competition and to also allow the kids to connect with other pupils around these games.

“It’s partly about understanding the traditional games that were played back on the islands. Obviously we had to modify things from the original games, which we did in consultation with our cultural advisors," says the former All Black.

“But the main thing about these games is that they have a cultural lens, a language lens and it’s so much fun that the kids can own it.

“And the more they’re around it, the more confident they are.”

Lead Systems Innovator Pita Alatini with Henry Matenga, left and Katharina Tuuga from Wymondley Primary School. Photo/ PMN News/ Justin Latif

Vae Falaniko is a year five and six teacher at Rongomai Primary who’s students have been participating in the initiative. He says it’s been an “amazing experience” for his pupils.

“The majority of our kids are from Pacific countries, so for them to learn these games that many of them are unaware of, gives them a sense of belonging, identity and empowerment.

“It also shows them sports from their own countries that they can engage with and enjoy themselves - so it’s not just about staying active but also uplifting them - especially after the past few years where most of these children have been affected by the Covid period.”

Falaniko says the initiative has also given them something to help engage students in their culture.

“At my school, it’s something we’ve always wanted to implement at our school, especially around the language weeks, and so with the [Healthy Families South Auckland] group coming in and teaching these games to our kids, it’s been awesome and it’s something we want to keep happening consistently - not just as a one off during language weeks.“

Action from the Villages Games Festival Day. Photo/ PMN News/ Justin Latif

And Alatini says he hopes this initiative is something they can bring to other schools around South Auckland.

“The initiative is about introducing some different dynamics our own mainstream games don’t have, as it helps with teaching about relationship connections, language learning and there’s also the hand-eye coordination skills that go on.

“And part of this is also how we can work with other schools to see who’s keen to take the games on. As we will leave the resources and the rules with the schools and then the year sixes can pass it down to the other kids.”