Our kaupapa
What we stand for
Our aspirations
Our 'why' is deeply rooted in reducing disparities and championing a vibrant and equitable future for Aotearoa. We believe that embracing Te Tiriti o Waitangi and ngā mahi ā te rēhia is not just integral to the identity of Aotearoa, but it also enables transformative change. They guide us to empower individuals with the capabilities to thrive and impact the world around them.
Our purpose
To enliven our Te Tiriti identity through ngā mahi ā te rēhia.
Our role
We provide leadership, training, advice, and connection in Aotearoa-New Zealand’s cultural context.
Our Pou
Te karanga o te Ngahere | Call of the forest
This is the name given to the Skills Active Te Mahi Ako Pou, taken from Te Maringi Helen Te Karanga o te Ngahere Bartlett-Waara.
Te Karanga o te Ngahere acknowledges the peoples of Taranaki Whānui, Te Atiawa and Ngati Toa Rangatira as mana whenua.
Special acknowledgements go to kaumātua Joe McClutchie and Jack Brooking, to Amster and Shirley Reedy for presenting the Pou to Skills Active in a profoundly traditional way, to the carvers (kaiwhakairo), Kereopa Wharehinga, Hori Haenga, Hama Campbell and Tamatea Kopua, who brought to life the stories from their ancestors, and to Te Maringi Helen Te Karanga o te Ngahere Bartlett-Waara, after whom the Pou is named.
Te Ara Tipuna | Path of our elders
The Pou traces the trek that crosses the Raukumara mountain range which connects the tribal boundaries of te Whānau ā Apanui and Ngāti Porou.
Nau mai e Tama kia areare o taringa ki te whakarongo ki ngā taringa o Rongo-mai-taha-nui, o Rongo-mai-taha-rangi, o Tu-pai whakarongo wahanga i te wānanga o Timu-whakairihia.
In earlier times, Māori passed on traditions, stories and messages orally. The passage above emphasises the art of listening, where orators were gifted with exceptional delivery and retention skills.
Over the years, oral traditions have given way to the increased use of paper and technology as tools to retain knowledge.
Therefore, the Skills Active Pou, having once allowed us to navigate Te Ara Tipuna, now stands as a metaphoric post to support us in retaining our organisation’s whakapapa and conveying consistent messages of who we are and what we do.
Mauri ora!