Our Cultural Narrative
He Tīwai Mātauranga, Heaton Normal Intermediate School
We are honoured to have been gifted our name and cultural narrative from Ngāi Tūāhuriri.
He Tīwai Mātauranga translates to ‘The Trunk of Knowledge’. This name deeply reflects the geographical and cultural aspects of our area. Tīwai, meaning tree trunk, and mātauranga, meaning knowledge, are derived from the school’s relationship to the English Elm trees that historically lined the Papanui Road boundary and the significance of the nearby podocarp forest, Pūtaringamotu.
In 2025, our kura was given our very own haka by the amazing haka composer
Matua Cee. Inspired by the cultural narrative gifted to us by Ngāi
Tūāhuriri, it speaks of the prominent parts of Ngā Kōhatu Whakarakaraka o
Tamatea Pōkai Whenua – The Port Hills. It upholds our school as being a
place where we learn, grow and are nurtured, preparing us for the future
ahead.
In 2022 and 2023, our students delved into this gifted narrative, researching its unique flora and fauna. Their exploration culminated in the creation of a stunning digital world within Minecraft. We extend a special note of thanks and acknowledgement to Nathan from Cyclone for his outstanding mahi (work) in leading this project and helping our students successfully bring our cultural narrative to life.
We encourage you to embark on a virtual tour to see the students’ incredible achievement and understand how the naming of our learning spaces influenced this project.