Potiki

Consider the ways in which storytelling functions within the novel. When are stories shared in the community? In particular, how are the stories symbolic or allegorical, and what important meanings do they hold for various community members? How do these stories interact with the changing landscape of their physical world?

Teaching Suggestion: The stories of Potiki primarily center on the themes of The Relationship Between Humankind and the Natural World and The Relationship Between Life and Death. Storytelling is an important oral tradition: It bonds the family with each other, connects people with their past, and strengthens communities as they move forward together. Furthermore, these stories are not new, but rather tales that are repeated over time. With this repetition, Roimata, Toko, and the other characters bond with each other in a safe environment. Students might begin by working in small groups to catalog and summarize the stories in the novel; a chart or other graphic organizer might be useful in documenting the storyteller, main subjects, symbols, lessons, and characters affected.

Use this activity to engage all types of learners, while requiring that they refer to and incorporate details from the text over the course of the activity.

“Indigenous Communities and Colonizing Powers”