"We were learning about things that you don't get to hear" SO Anthony Pennington on cultural course

*Definitions for te reo Māori words are highlighted and can be found in the glossary at the bottom.

Returning to cold cups of tea and half-finished tasks are a part of life as a Firefighter who must drop everything when the alarm goes. However, if there was an award for ‘dedication to the kaupapa’ for the Cultural Discovery Programme, then Firefighter Anthony Pennington would be a contender as he would take his laptop into the cab with him to continue his studies after attending a call.

Anthony Pennington & SO Logan Martin

 “We were learning about things that you don’t really get to hear - like stories about the local iwi so I’d try to get back on the call as soon as I could”.

 The Cultural Discovery Programme was a six-week course that took 20 of our people through topics such as local and national history, tikanga when engaging with Māori and ways to introduce themselves on marae.

 Anthony had been on his own journey to improve his knowledge of kaupapa Māori, and when the course was advertised, he saw it as an opportunity which would benefit him personally but in his mahi as well.

 “There have been times when I’ve wanted to introduce myself with my pepeha or do a karakia but have sat back. This course has given me the confidence to take on those opportunities”.

Anthony said the people on the course really made it.

 “We were all from different backgrounds with different levels of knowledge, but everyone had the same positive attitude which created this safe place where we could make mistakes”.

 Anthony recommends taking on future opportunities like the Cultural Discovery Programme with two feet;

“Take every opportunity you can to learn and grow within this organisation. The learning you get is amazing and the relationships you make are also amazing”.

Kuputaka | Glossary

Iwi - extended kinship group, tribe, nation, people

Tikanga - correct procedure, custom, practice

Kaupapa Māori - Māori topics, plans, proposals, programmes, initatives 

Mahi - work, job, employment

Pepeha - way of introducting yourself by creating connections 

Karakia - a set form of words to state or make effective a ritual activity.