Ururangi
Ko ngā hau ki ētahi wāhi; Ko ngā kai kei Orariki.
No matter which way the wind blows (season), one can always procure food at Taumutu.
I am Ururangi. I am the star who will determine the winds for the coming year.
Te Hau me te Ha / The Wind and the Breath
Everything starts with the murmur of the wind - its breath. Hau (wind) stems from the root word ‘ha’, the breath. ‘Ha’ creates the spark of life which we call ‘mauri’. For Māori, the land must have a ‘hau’. The hau of land is its vitality and fertility. Ngāi Tahu have an expression that represents this view when they talk about Te Waihora-Lake Ellesmere which declares, “Ko ngā hau ki ngā whenua, ko ngā kai ki Orariki – Whatever the season or wind, food will be found at Orariki”. Te Waihora-Lake Ellesmere was famous as the food basket for Ngāi Tahu. It’s ‘hau’ was everywhere ...
Māori extended the concept of human kinship, whakapapa, to natural phenomena – including the winds.
Ururangi
Ko ngā hau ki ētahi wāhi, ko ngā kai kei Orariki.
Ko Ururangi au. Ka hono atu au ki ngā hau o te tau e tū mai ana.
Te Hau
Everything starts with the murmur of the wind - its breath. Hau (wind) stems from the root word ‘ha’, the breath. ‘Ha’ creates the spark of life which we call ‘mauri’ - a word found often enough in New Zealand.
For Māori, the land must have a ‘hau’. The hau of land is its vitality and fertility. Ngāi Tahu have an expression that represents this view when they talk about Te Waihora-Lake Ellesmere which declares, “Ko ngā hau ki ngā whenua, ko ngā kai ki Orariki – Whatever the season or wind, food will be found at Orariki”. Te Waihora-Lake Ellesmere was famous as the food basket for Ngāi Tahu. It’s ‘hau’ was everywhere ...
Ko tā te Māori, ka timata ngā mea katoa i te hau, arā ko te whanaungatanga me te whakapapa, tae atu rā ki ngā tohu taiao me te hau.
Sources / Resources
- Cultural design strategy Dr Te Maire Tau
- He Puna Kōrero mō ngā Kura Educational Hub Cultural Narrative
Credits
- Characters: Created by Māui Studios
- Content: Kiri Jarden, Christchurch City Council (in consultation with mana whenua)
- Te reo Māori translation: Corban Te Aika
