Rocky students host hangi for Waitangi Day

The students built a traditional earth oven for the occasion.

Youth worker George Fuka at Rockhampton Flexible Learning Centre.

Rockhampton students cooked a meal for more than 60 people on Tuesday to acknowledge Waitangi Day.

Saturday marks the anniversary of a treaty – the founding document of New Zealand – signed by Maori chiefs and colonisers in 1840.

George Fuka, a youth worker at Rockhampton Flexible Learning Centre, said that about two years ago, he and other staff recommended a regular event whereby students could learn and practise culinary skills using a method shared by several Oceanic, indigenous cultures.

Aboriginals call it Kup-murri, Maoris hangi, and many Pacific Islanders umu.

The hot rocks in place.

Although the actual meals are different among the cultures, the cooking process is the same: food is wrapped, placed on top of buried white-hot rocks, and then covered with the earth to make an oven.

“Me being a New Zealander, it’s something you see all the time,” Mr Fuka said.

“Over here, I don’t see it.

“It’s something that we thought we’d introduce to the kids, and now our young people, they expect one every term.

“We’ve done so many in the last two years that those boys run it now. All I do is just come make sure they’re using the tools properly.”

The food before being covered.

Mr Fuka said the students learnt about indigenous cultures and developed life skills along the way.

He said they were always aware of the specific culture from which the meals were drawn.

“They’re just so passionate about doing this. It’s just good life skills that you’re trying to pass down to them, and that’s been passed down to me the Tongan way,” Mr Fuka said.

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