Ko Kāi Tūāhuriri ki Mahaanui
Mauri tū mauri aroha mauri ora ki a tatou katoa I tēnei rangi ataahua. Ka tuku aroha, ka tuku āku whakaaro ki ngā tini mate o te wā nei, haere ki te taha o Taramainuku, nāna I haria rātou ki Te Waka o Rangi I te wā nei. Rātou ki a rātou ko te hunga mate, tatou ki a tatou ki te hunga ora, tīhei mauri ora. It gives me great joy to bring us into te rā tua whā o ngā īmēra kia whakanui I te reo rangatira, bringing us into day 4 of celebrating Te Reo Māori. Inanahi, i haere mātou ki Matatiki mō te Kawhe Reo, he Kaupapa anō ki Tūranga i te ahiahi nā te mea i maranga ake mātou ngā atua ko Tāne Rore me Hine Rehia mō te whakaritenga o ngā poi me ngā tītī tōrea hoki! Yesterday our team found ourselves out at Matatiki: Hornby Centre celebrating our collective Te reo Māori journeys, ko te whakautakī i puta, ‘Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu, although it is small it is a treasure.’ A reminder for us all that regardless of how much Te reo we have, it should be celebrated! We also found ourselves back in Tūranga library where we woke up Tāne Rore and Hine Rehia for our afterschool activity zone making poi and/or tītī tōrea. Let’s see what’s in store for us in today’s kōrero.
Papatipu talks
Ko Te Upoko o Tahumatā te maunga
Ko Ōkana te awa
Ko Wairewa te moana
Ko Wairewa te marae
Ko Makō te whare tupuna
Ko Te Ropūake te whare kai
‘Ki uta he urunga mō tōku ūpoko,Ki tai he tūranga mō ōku waewae. Inland a pillow for my head and on the shores a rest for my feet.’
Today we take a tipi haere (trip) back over the puke (hill) and find ourselves in te takiwā o Wairewa. The whare tupuna is named after the younger brother of Maru named Makō Hākirikiri. Makō supported the Kāti Kuri endeavours in making the south and the coastlines into a safe new settlement area. ‘Before 1855, the marae was situated upon the hill close to our present-day urupā (cemetery) presumably with a view over the valley and lake to the ocean. The first of four buildings at the present site was opened in 1855; all have been built upon the same footprint and all have been named Makō.’ My entire life growing up, I remember always asking my whānau, ‘hey when are we going back to Makō marae? We haven’t been in ages.’ Little Justice didn’t realise at the time the significant ties and connections between this whare, mau rākau wānanga, kapa haka and just whānau get togethers were all things that I grew up remembering on this marae. A quick uka of the car horn to say ‘kei kōnei au, I’m here!’.
The whare kai Te Rōpūake was named after the wife of Mako. Eldest child of Te Rakiwhakaputa, she was a warrior and titular head of Kāti Kurī. Makō and Te Rōpūake had two daughters named Waimatuku and Marutuna. Waimatuku married Te Rakikakonui, the grandson of Maru. The descendants of Marutuna are known as the “Ruahikihiki line” and one line that I am proud to be a part of.
Tangatahara was the most prestigious warrior in the 19th century for Ngāi Tahu where he defeated Te Pēhi Kupe, a senior rangatira of Ngāti Toa at Kaiapoi Pā in 1829. He was captured in Ōnawe Pā in 1832 where he would later escape and command the Ngāti Irakehu warriors in the Ngāi Tahu war party in 1833 and 1834. His statue was put up in 1900 as a tohu (symbol) of ddefiance towards the enemies with whom peace was not made.
He kai kei āku rika
Whai kōrero – The whai kōrero relates to the formal speeches conducted by our tāne. This is a space in which wero (challenge) can sometimes be invoked within kōrero, the Kaupapa of what has brought everyone together acknowledging the past, the present and looking forward into the future and varying other Kaupapa depending on the Kaupapa at hand. I’ve related Wairewa to the whai kōrero space as we know tha tour reo is beginning the revitalisation and its coming through with our next generation, to get them prepared for what the paepae space has in store for them, I know some of our whānau have started hosting whai kōrero wānanga for this reason as well as to bring light into the whai kōrero space. There is mana in this space to sit, I grew up seeing the reflection of our kai kōrero sitting on the paepae just like our manu (birds) resting on platforms.
Te waiata tukuna mai ki te ao
Today’s waiata again is another hiking Mahara into the archives of my first memory of attending a Hui ā tau or Hui ā iwi here in Ngāi Tahu. One that reminds us of the stories of Onawe Pā and the Pōhutukawa tree which once stood there, Hei pūmau tonu (te aroha), mō kā uri (mokopuna) Maraka Irakehu, mauri ora. Also a special shout out to my aunty Maatakiwi Wakefield, my second māmā Puamiria Parata-Goodall and Rev Maurice Manawaroa Gray for this waiata.
Maramataka o te rā
Ko Tamatea-a-ngāna te marama o te rā nei. Today is a day for our tuna (eels) to be feeding, it’s a good day for planting kai (food) and gathering ika (fish) however kia tūpato (be careful) that weather is not looking the best today. If I had it my way, I would be tucked up in bed with a good movie, but today you’ll find me tucked up in Te Kete Wānanga o Ihutai, Linwood Library where we have our kiriata huna (secret movie) that we will be screening so bring your favourite movie snacks, bring your kai o te pō (dinner) and come and watch our kiriata looking into navigation.
Kupu o te rā
Today’s kupu o te rā i koha mai ki tetahi Gen Z, a gift from one of our newer day generators about praising or wanting to get something said straight to the point! ‘Yaaas you’re getting it! Irakati!’ Irakati refers to the word or phrase ‘Period!’. One that may take a bit of use to playing around with but one I’m sure you’ll grow to love, so have a go e te whānu, irakati!
‘Ko te kete ika a Tutekawa.’
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