Awa Interview Prompts
Ngā Pātai Uiui · Gathering Voice — Kaumātua, Whānau & Community Knowledge
Ngā Whāinga Akoranga · Learning Intentions
- Gather oral knowledge from kaumātua, whānau, and community members about the awa
- Ask open questions that invite stories and specific memories, not just yes/no answers
- Record quotes accurately and attribute them to named sources with their connection to the awa
- Connect what we hear to what we measured — seeing how oral testimony and scientific data tell the same story differently
Paearu Angitu · Success Criteria
- I have at least one direct quote with the person's exact words recorded accurately
- I can say who said it, and what their connection to the awa is — their knowledge has context
- I followed the tikanga of the interview — asked permission, listened actively, said thank you
- I can explain how the interview knowledge connects to our data and how together they make a stronger story
Hononga Marautanga · Curriculum Alignment
Level 3–4: ask questions to clarify and extend understanding; listen actively for specific information; record oral information accurately; acknowledge sources of spoken knowledge.
Level 3: understand how people make decisions and participate in their communities; recognise oral history as a primary source of knowledge; value diverse perspectives on shared environments.
I Mua i te Uiui · Before the Interview — Tikanga
- Ask permission first. Never assume. Ask: "Would it be okay if we talked to you about the awa? We're doing a project and your knowledge would help us."
- Begin with a mihi. Introduce yourself, your school, and your project. People are more likely to share openly with someone who takes the time to say who they are.
- Ask before recording. If you want to use a voice recorder or take notes, say so first. Some people prefer no recording.
- Bring a gift if you can. In te ao Māori, when you receive knowledge, you acknowledge it. A small gift (kai, flowers) shows you value what they're sharing.
- Offer to share the result. Promise to show them your poster or give them a copy of your speech. Knowledge flows — they gave you something, you give back.
Ngā Pātai · Interview Questions
These are starter questions — follow up with "Can you tell me more about that?" and "What do you think we should do?" The best stories come from following where the person takes you, not sticking rigidly to the list.
1. He aha te hononga o tō whānau ki tēnei awa?
How is your whānau connected to this awa / river?
Follow up: How long has your family lived near the awa? Were there special events or uses — swimming, fishing, drinking the water?
2. He aha ngā panoni kua kite koe i roto i ōu tau katoa?
What changes have you seen in the awa over the years?
Follow up: When did things start to change? What do you think caused it? Was there a specific moment you noticed?
3. He aha ngā mahi kaitiaki pai rawa mō tēnei awa?
What actions do you think would help the awa most?
Follow up: Have you seen people or groups doing good things for the awa? What worked? What didn't?
4. He aha ngā kupu, ngā tikanga rānei me mōhio mātou mō tēnei awa?
Are there any kupu Māori or tikanga we should know when we talk about this awa?
Follow up: Does this awa have a name in te reo Māori? Are there any stories or traditions connected to it?
Ngā Tuhinga · Interview Notes
Person interviewed:
Their connection to the awa:
Key points from what they shared:
Direct quote I want to use (their exact words — use quotation marks):
""
How this connects to our data (what does the interview add that pH strips cannot?):
Where I will use this in the project: ☐ Poster ☐ Speech ☐ Both
Āta Whakarongo · Active Listening Tips
Tauira · Exemplar Completed Interview Notes
Exemplar — Whaea Aroha
Person interviewed: Whaea Aroha, kaumātua — has lived near the awa for 60+ years. Her tupuna fished this stream.
Key points: When she was young, children swam every summer and the water was clear enough to see the stones on the bottom. Inanga (whitebait) and kōkopu were plentiful. Change began when a housing development was built in the 1990s — more stormwater, more runoff. A wetland (repo) that used to filter water was drained to build a car park. She notices fewer kōura (freshwater crayfish) now — she says their absence tells her the water is sick.
Direct quote: "The awa used to sing. Now it just whispers." — Whaea Aroha
How this connects to our data: Our pH of 6.2 and high litter count confirm what she's describing — the water quality has fallen. But her knowledge adds something our pH strips cannot: she knows WHAT the awa used to be, which gives the data historical context and moral urgency. We're not just measuring numbers — we're measuring loss.
Aronga Mātauranga Māori
In te ao Māori, oral history (kōrero tuku iho) is a primary knowledge source — knowledge passed down through speech, story, and relationship is as reliable and authoritative as written or scientific knowledge. When you interview Whaea Aroha, you are accessing decades of systematic environmental observation that no dataset can replace. She has watched this awa her whole life. Her testimony is primary evidence — not background colour.
The kaitiakitanga principle of manaakitanga applies directly to interviews: you are receiving a gift of knowledge, and that gift comes with obligations. Always quote accurately — misquoting someone is a form of disrespect. Always attribute — their name and their connection to the awa is part of the knowledge. And always give back — share your poster and speech with the people you interviewed. They gave you their kōrero; you give them back the story you made from it.
Ngā Rauemi Tautoko · Support Materials
Resources already provided:
- This interview prompts sheet — take it to the interview; use the notes section directly
- Evidence Capture sheet (awa-evidence-capture.html) — to record the quote alongside your photos and data
- Evidence Gallery (awa-evidence-gallery.html) — to curate the strongest quote for your poster or speech
- Permission guidance from teacher — check tikanga protocols for your specific community context
Aronga Rerekē · Differentiated Pathways
Tīmata · Entry Level
Complete Questions 1 and 2. Record one direct quote. Write one sentence explaining how the interview connects to your data. Work in a pair — one asks, one writes.
Paerewa · On Level
Complete all four questions and the full notes section. Record at least one direct quote with full attribution. Write how the interview knowledge connects to your data and where you'll use it.
Tūāpae · Extension
Interview two people with different connections to the awa (e.g. a kaumātua and someone who moved to the area recently). Compare their knowledge: what do they agree on? Where does their understanding differ? What does this tell you about the different ways people connect to the same place? Write a paragraph for your speech that uses BOTH voices together.
📋 Teacher Planning Snapshot
Ngā Whāinga Ako — Learning Intentions
Students will explore awa (river/water) as taonga, developing understanding of kaitiakitanga through water guardianship — connecting indigenous environmental knowledge with scientific and civic action.
Ngā Paearu Angitū — Success Criteria
- ✅ Students can explain the significance of awa in te ao Māori and their local community.
- ✅ Students can identify actions that reflect kaitiaki responsibilities for local waterways.
Differentiation & Inclusion
Scaffold support: Provide sentence starters and graphic organisers for inquiry tasks. Offer entry-level observation activities and extension challenges involving community advocacy or environmental data analysis.
ELL / ESOL: Pre-teach key te reo Māori terms (awa, kaitiaki, wāhi tapu, tūrangawaewae). Allow visual and diagrammatic responses. Bilingual glossaries strongly recommended.
Inclusion: Connect to students' own waterways and places of belonging. Neurodiverse learners benefit from structured field investigation templates and clear step-by-step inquiry protocols.