In a significant stride toward cultural inclusivity, OCS proudly unveiled Whiria Te Tangata, our Māori cultural competency strategy in 2023. The name, which translates to “Weaving the People Together”, sets out the principles and values that we will embody to advance our work to provide a culturally appropriate and authentic framework and work environment.
August 2023 marked an important milestone in our cultural journey, with more than 30 of our OCS NZ colleagues participating in our first cultural development wānanga (workshop) at Mataatua marae, in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland). The wānanga focused on Māori cultural perspectives, concepts, values and principles.
The wānanga also explored Te Tiriti of Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi, providing the team with an overview of Te Tiriti from both a historical and contemporary perspective, as well as covering the principles of Te Tiriti and their relevance in a modern society.
Managing Director, Gareth Marriott also had the privilege of wearing our beautiful pāke (traditional Māori cloak), Whiria te Tāngata, for the first time on a marae. The pāke woven by Auckland Operations Manager, Rāwinia Wright, from harakeke (flax), symbolises unity and cultural interconnectedness. which Auckland Operations Manager, Rāwinia Wright, spent three months harvesting and preparing the harakeke (flax) to weave into it.
Over three months Rāwinia visited several OCS branches harvesting and preparing the harakeke from across the North and South Islands, before presenting the completed pākē at the OCS Conference as a stunning visual embodiment of Whiria Te Tāngata.
This symbolic piece will be a living reminder of the importance of OCS celebrating and embracing our cultural diversity.
The OCS management team also took part in a Cultural Competency & Development course, Te Kākano. Aimed at creating safe spaces for colleagues of all nationalities to engage with Te Ao Māori (the Māori world view) and support their confidence and growth in implementing learnings in our workplaces, the sessions were well attended.
The six-hour long sessions focused on building cultural confidence and kotahitanga (unity of purpose). It supported colleagues to think deeper and explore what integration of Te Ao Māori into their lives looked like, as well as providing an introductory understanding of te reo Māori (the Māori language) and exploring tikanga Māori (Māori customs and practices).
Te Kākano will be offered to other OCS colleagues in 2024.
OCS cultural advisor, Dr. Jim Mather, shared a powerful whakatauki (saying):
“Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou, ka ora ai te Iwi.” Translated, it means: “With your basket and my basket, the people will thrive.”
This whakatauki encapsulates the essence of unity, collaboration, and collective wellbeing. As the OCS team continues its cultural journey, they carry this wisdom forward, weaving together the diverse strands of their organisation.