After three years of hard work and development, Kuruho Wereta (Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Te Ati Awa, Ngāti Kahungunu) and Rosie Remmerswaal (Pākehā) have recently launched the final product of their Pohutukawa Coast dream, the board game Kaupapa.
Kaupapa is a beautifully designed and sustainably crafted Maori board game for speakers and learners of te reo Māori at any level.
Rosie says the concept flourished on the Pohutukawa Coast, playing English board games in te reo Māori. Kuruho had grown up with a passion for Māori language and design, and Rosie was passionate about learning te reo Māori.
Their combined passion has fused to create the Kaupapa Game.
“We saw there was an opportunity here to really highlight mātauranga [Māori knowledge and culture],” says Kuruho.
The game works similarly to traditional description games, with six kaupapa [categories]; Mahi [action], tautapu [object], wāhi [place], taiao [nature], ingoa [person], and tupurangi [random]. ‘Māui’ cards, much like their namesake, act like chance cards, using pūrākau (traditional narratives) and whakataukī (proverbial sayings) to make gameplay more unpredictable.
Played in teams, either competitively or cooperatively, each team has one minute to guess as many words from the given category as possible. The game has 900 words across the six categories.
The level of difficulty is adjustable to suit those with zero te reo understanding, right through to advanced speakers.
Kuruho says it is the values and vision of a bilingual Aotearoa, sustainability, and being authentic in sharing this gift of the language that have continued to drive the project.
They say launching the game at the Umupuia Marae in May this year signified a full circle.
The pair met at the papa kāinga at Umupuia Marae and went on to flat together at Omana Regional Park, while Kuruho was working for the council as a park ranger and Rosie was studying Maori language at university.
“We thought we would bring everyone back to the place where it started says Rosie.
“Pohutukawa Coast is the place. The energy there, the sun, the winds, the creative energy there is what has totally nourished this project.”
The launch sold out to full capacity, with various activities including workshops in Māori musical instruments, and ngā taonga tākaro [traditional Māori games].
“That’s been in the Maori world forever, they acknowledge the importance of play in developing young people and preparing them for life. The importance of being light hearted, engaging with the imagination, telling stories and integrating life messages through narrative,” says Kuruho.
“The board game is just a branch of that idea.”
The Kaupapa game can be purchased online at https://speak.maori.nz
Credit: Pōhutukawa Coast Times. Writer: Rene Ryall
