Tohatoha
Tohatoha is a Kaupapa Māori approach to youth development. It was drafted by Sharon Davis, Sharyn Roberts, Jordi Butters, Jono Campbell and Dr Mike Ross and inspired by Te Ora Hou Aotearoa. Tohatoha draws on 30+ years of youth work practised by a multitude of Te Ora Hou youth workers in urban communities throughout Aotearoa, also sourced from the experiences and knowledge of Māori working in the youth development space. Tohatoha draws on the richness of Te Ao Māori in practical ways to support working with rangatahi.
TOHATOHA means to share, disperse and distribute, lovingly and wisely. It is an intentional generosity based in positive relationships to unlock the potential within young people. Utilising Kaupapa Māori principles of development, Tohatoha acknowledges the journey of Tamariki tū Taitamariki tū Rangatahi tū Rangatira.
The transition between each stage is characterised by the kupu Māori, tū which means to stand. In this context tū acknowledges that success in each stage gives mana to stand, propelling the individual into the next stage.
Similarly, Tamariki tū Rangatira [6] is an incremental learning journey that is comparable to a child learning to roll, to crawl, to walk, to run, and to interact with the collective through those stages (tū = stand, with courage, confidence, we want our young people to be able).
In order to support the journey of Tamariki tū Rangatira we need to “rongo” [7] to the worlds of young people and kōrero by asking the questions:
Where - Ahunga? What direction are you facing? Where have we/they come from? Where are we going? (purpose and destination).
Who - Ko wai? Who will support young person on this stage of the journey? As Māori we ask “Ko wai au, Ko wai koe, Ko wai tātou?” (Who am I? Who are you? Who are we?), to understand how we are connected, our place and our role.
What - Āheinga? What is possible now and in the future? What do I know and what do I need to know (knowledge/ mātauranga), to undertake the next stage of the journey?
“Tamariki tū Rangatira” – known in Positive Youth Development as the journey from me to we. For Māori this journey is developmental, weaving connections through life’s opportunities and barriers. Scattered throughout this journey are the ‘islands’ of life that are to be navigated in order to stay on course to realising their potential and finding their Rangatira space.
The Tamariki stage acknowledges that every child has potential and purpose, and has a right to grow and fulfil their potential. [3]
The Taitamariki/Taiohi stage acknowledges the progression beyond the tamariki stage, where the individual is now exploring their potential and learning about their identity. [4]
The Rangatahi stage is the developmental stage where the individual is becoming self-aware of their emerging potential.
The Rangatira stage is the maturing of potential, where the individual is able to invest, weave into others in ways that allows them to discover their potential and purpose.
The space between each stage is often uncomfortable and one of challenge. It is not a simple linear process and we can occupy different stages at one time in different contexts. [5]
Ina kei te mōhio koe ki a koe, i ahu mai koe i hea, kei te mōhio koe, kei te ahu atu ki hea.
If you know who you are and where you are from, then you will know where you are going.
“Rangatira doesn’t exist without an ‘us’ – it exists in connection with others”
Marcus Akuhata-Brown
Key to exploring these questions is the ability to connect with and value whānau. In Tohatoha whānau are defined as:
Whakapapa Whānau – those who we are linked to by bloodline. Whakapapa whānau are for life.
Kaupapa Whānau – those with whom we share a common purpose and values such as sports clubs, interest groups, churches.
Tīhokahoka Whānau – those who might provide temporary support e.g. residences, hospitals, boarding schools.
Hapori Whānau – our community, neighbourhoods.
Tohatoha has 4 key kaupapa Māori principles that underpin the journey of Tamariki tū Rangatira. They are defined as:
Ohaoha is life-giving generosity.
Tūhonohono is building and maintaining connections [8] , standing together with People (Mana Tangata), Place (Mana Whenua) and God given Potential/Purpose (Mana Atua).
Ako is creating adventurous lifetime learners, who have the essential skills to navigate through life, by experiential learning tools through:
• Pūkenga (mentoring relationships and opportunities)
• Whare Wānanga (formalised learning relationships and opportunities)
• Urungatanga (informal learning relationships and opportunities)
Mana is the power of knowing who you are, the emergence of purpose, and potential that comes from being connected, knowledge.
As connections (Tūhonohono) grow and opportunities for learning (Ako) converge, we see emergence of Mana through the realisation of potential and purpose. Tohatoha values intentional youth work practice through a Māori way of thinking. It is an approach that seeks to encourage and develop Māori ways of working with rangatahi drawing from the experience, knowledge and understanding of practitioners. It is not a static model but rather an approach that will continue to grow and shape as we further explore indigenous ways of youth development.
“Ka mahi koe, e te tamariki moe pori.”
“Well done youngster, you stayed close to your whānau and acquired much knowledge and wisdom from them.”
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Tamariki are dependent on the whānau to provide basic health and wellbeing care for their nurture and growth.
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The safest place to learn and grow, to make mistakes and also to ‘give new things a go’ is with Whānau. In some Māori communities this stage is referred to as taitamariki and others as taiohi, however both agree that this is the student learner developmental stage
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For example, a young person might be seen to be fulfilling their potential in one area such as school or sports but not in another area. One might be a rangatira on the paepae but a rangatahi in the kitchen.
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Occupying your Rangatira space does not always mean leading from the front. Background workers supporting their whānau and community have mana and should be celebrated and honoured).
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Rongo in this context is about engaging your senses, sight, sound, smell and touch, to ‘know’…
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Tūranga is continual and dynamic. Connections form the basis of ongoing healthy dynamic relationship.
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