Aurora Drama

Aurora is a program where they choose children from multiple school from around Gisborne to work on different school subjects and work with kids they usually wouldn't work with. The subject that I am working on is Drama ! 

The first session that we had was on 14 of May. We went to Makaraka school and they told us  about their Pepeha and we went for a walk around the school to look at the murals they had created about the Maori gods and Whirikoka. We had morning tea and then got on a bus to go to Whatatutu. Once we got to Whatatutu we went to a Marcus's property. Marcus's property was a Pa site but then the influenza epidemic forced the Maori to another spot. The Iwi that lived there was Whirikoka's Iwi and he was the chief. 

Now you are probably wondering Who is Whirikoka ? I will tell you. There is a Maori legend that where the Waipawa river and the Mangataikapua stream connects, it creates a sacred or tapu place. Whirikoka was friends with a seal named Oioi and Whirikoka invited him to play with him at this tapu spot and to bring all of his friends. There was one rule at the tapu spot, that you had to be gone before sunrise.  Whirikoka was playing so much with his friends that he fell asleep and once he woke up the sun was shining !  Oioi and the other sea animals writhed about in pain wich split his blubber and his oil seeped into the ground. That is why there is oil springs there. 

We are going to present a play about Whirikoka and it's going to be so much  fun!