Digital Natives Academy (DNA) and its education arm Native Tech are hosting a two-day wānanga focused on normalising the everyday use of te reo Māori and deepening student understanding of climate change through culturally grounded, hands-on learning.
The wānanga, open to tauira enrolled in DNA’s foundation programmes, is designed to help rangatahi connect Indigenous knowledge with modern climate challenges. By integrating te reo Māori into creative tech and environmental education, the event aims to build language confidence while preparing young people to become climate-smart digital guardians.
Key workshops and activities include:
- Reo + Taiao: Practical sessions building everyday fluency in te reo Māori using climate-related concepts, vocabulary, and storytelling.
- Minecraft Climate Challenge: Rangatahi will co-design future-ready marae that respond to climate threats like flooding and drought, using traditional knowledge and digital tools.
- Te Ao Tūroa Mapping: Linking maramataka and tohu huarere to modern climate science in a collaborative systems-mapping session.
- Whakataukī and Systems Thinking: Exploring how ancestral proverbs and Indigenous wisdom can guide environmental leadership.
- Kai Sovereignty Workshop: Understanding the connection between food systems, whenua, and climate resilience.
This wānanga is part of our wider commitment to embedding te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori into all of our creative tech and climate education programmes,” says Ngatarawahi Fairhall. “It’s about empowering our rangatahi to lead, in their language, the language of their ancestors, in their communities, and in the future of our planet.”
The wānanga also supports Native Tech’s broader goal of developing NZQA-accredited pathways that reflect Indigenous values and prepare youth for real-world challenges such as climate adaptation, digital transformation and artificial intelligence.