Make the tab bar not part of your navigationcontroller view.
Make a UIViewController with a view.
Make a instance variable in the UIViewController that is of the type UINavigationController.
Make the navigation bar hidden for the UINavigationController.
Set UIVIewController content like this
UIViewController UIViewControllers content view setup.
------------------- -------------------
|UIView | |UINavigationBar |
| | |-----------------|
| | |UINavigationVi |
| | |ewController |
| | |content view |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | | |
| | |-----------------|
| | |UIToolBar |
------------------- -------------------
Let the interaction from the bars call a method in the UIViewController, which interacts on his turn with the UINavigatioViewController.
I hope this was helpful and clear enough.
Note your current situation is like this:
UINavigationControllerViewController
-------------------
|view containing |
|bars and current |
|controller |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
-------------------