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He Whakarapopototanga
I roto i ngā rangahautanga i te āhua o te tuhituhi a te
pakeke i roto o Whanganui Iwi ka kitea kāore e tino whai
painga ana tēnei mahi ki te iwi. He tokopae tonu e mea ana
nā runga i ngā tūkinotanga maha i paki a rātou i te kura
kua kore e tino kaingākautia te tuhituhi i te reo Pākehā.
Ki ētehi atu ana e ngākau pai ana ki te kura, he kaupapa
kē atu anō, tēnei mea, te tuhituhi i waho atu o ngā mahi
whai tikanga, whai kaupapa whakapiki orange-ā-tinana,
ā-wairua, ā-Iwi.
Ahakoa tēnei whakaaro, ka whai wāhi ētehi ki te tuhi
kōrero mehemea ka noho ērā hei kete kōrero mō ngā
mahi tuku iho. I kōnei ka kitea atu, ki te whai tikanga te
kaupapa, te mahi rānei e tuhia ana, ka whai tikanga hoki
te mahi tuhituhi.
E ngākaunui tonu ana a Whanganui Iwi ki ngā taonga a
kui mā, a koro mā. Kāore he painga o te tuhituhi mehemea
kaore te tuhituhi e aro atu ana ki tēnei kaupapa matua.
Kia pakari ai te tuhi ate pakeke, me aro atu te tuhi ki ā
mātou e ngākaunui ana. Ki te mouri motu atu a kaupapa,
kua takekore te kuhu rumaki ki rō mahi. Kia aro nui mai
te tuhituhi ki tēnei kaupapa whakahirahira katahi ano ka
aro atu ngā pakeke ki te mahi tuhituhi.

Abstract
A study investigating adult literacy within Whanganui
Iwi found that English language literacy holds very
little positive meaning and experience for the case-study
community. Many community members strongly associate
literacy with negative school experiences of assimilation,
exclusion and cultural denigration. Even where community
members have had positive school experiences, they regard
literacy as mutually-exclusive to the community activities
and ancestral understandings that provide the basis for
living a meaningful and fulfilling life.
Yet, the study also found that community members
willingly engage in literacy practice that serves as a
practical memory aid for carrying out valued community
activities. This suggests that the meaning of literacy
directly relates to purpose, and if the purpose changes then
so too does its meaning.
The findings reveal that literacy meanings are not fixed
and constant, and effective participation only occurs when
literacy fits with the meaning and purpose of community.
It is not improved literacy skills per se that support literacy
participation, but rather it is the social meanings attached
to them. When the community's values and ways of life
are removed from literacy context, so too are the many
conditions needed for effective learning and participation.
Equally so, when literacy is embedded in cherished
community practices it then becomes meaningful, and
motivates community members to use and improve their
literacy skills.