Being Heard: A Māori Community Narrative

Abstract

This is the story of a yearlong journey with the people at Parihaka, a small rural Māori community near thewestern cape of Te Ika-a-Māui, the North Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. It is a depiction of their generous acts of reciprocity, their commitment to manaakitanga (hospitality) and their passionate advocacy of the tikanga (values, principles) of their forebears. It is a narration of our work together to create Witnessing Parihaka, a semistaged musical work. It is a portrayal of consultation, collectivism and collaboration between a community, a composer, a poet and the performers and musicians, both Māori and Pākehā. This led to tamariki (children) and pahake (learned elders) travelling from Parihaka to Tāmaki-makau-rau (Auckland)—New Zealand’s largest city—to perform on stage with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.

Glossary (He Papakupu)

The following translations were referenced from Te Aka Online Māori Dictionary (Moorfield 2003–2015).

Hongi (verb) to press noses in greeting.Karanga:

(verb) to call, call out, summon

(noun) formal call, a ceremonial call of welcome to visitors onto a marae, or an equivalent venue, at the start of a pōwhiri.

Karakia:

(verb) to recite ritual chants, say grace, pray, recite a prayer, chant.

(noun) incantation, ritual chant, chant, intoned incantation, charm, spell.

Kaumātua:

(noun) adult, elder, elderly man, elderly woman—a person of status within the whānau.

Koro:

(noun) elderly man, grandfather—term of address to an older man.

Kui:

(noun) elderly woman, grandmother—a term of address for an older woman.

Marae ātea:

(noun) courtyard—the open area in front of the wharenui, where formal greetings and discussions take place. The word marae is often also used to include the complex of buildings situated around the marae ātea.

Mana:

(noun) prestige, authority, control, power, influence, status, spiritual power, charisma—mana is a supernatural force in a person, place or object.

Mātauranga:

(noun) knowledge, wisdom, understanding, skill

(noun) knowledgeable person, sage, scholar, intellectual, academic.

Mōteatea:

(noun) lament, traditional chant, sung poetry—a general term for songs sung in traditional mode.

Pākehā:

(noun) New Zealander of European descent. Also English, foreign, European, exotic—introduced from or originating in a foreign country.

Pahake:

(noun) a Taranaki regional word for learned elder, similar in meaning to the more widely used word, kaumātua.

Papa kāinga:

(noun) original home, home base, village, communal Māori land.

Poi:

(verb) to toss up, swing the poi, toss up and down, toss about.

(noun) poi—a light ball on a string of varying length which is swung or twirled rhythmically to sung accompaniment.

Pūkana (verb) to stare wildly, dilate the eyes. Done by both genders when performing haka and waiata to emphasise particular words.Tangihanga:

(noun) weeping, crying, funeral, rites for the dead, obsequies—one of the most important institutions in Māori society, with strong cultural imperatives and protocols.

Tikanga:

(noun) correct procedure, custom, habit, lore, method, manner, rule, way, code, meaning, plan, practice, convention, protocol—the customary system of values and practices that have developed over time and are deeply embedded in the social context.

Taonga:

(noun) treasure, anything prized—applied to anything considered to be of value including socially or culturally valuable objects, resources, phenomenon, ideas and techniques. Also property, goods, possessions, effects.

Tapu:

(stative) be sacred, prohibited, restricted, set apart, forbidden, under atua protection.

Tūpuna:

(noun) ancestors, grandparents—western dialect variation of tīpuna.

Waiata:

(verb) to sing.

(noun) song, chant, psalm.

Waiata poi:

(noun) song performed with a poi—modern songs are usually set to European-type tunes.

Waiata ā-ringa:

(noun) action song—a popular modern song type with set actions and European-type tunes.

Waiata tawhito:

(noun) old, ancient, traditional song.

Wairua:

(noun) spirit, soul—spirit of a person which exists beyond death. It is the non physical spirit, distinct from the body and the mauri. Also attitude, quintessence, feel, mood, feeling, nature, essence.

Whaea:

(noun) mother, aunt, aunty.

Whaikōrero:

(verb) (−tia) to make a formal speech.

(noun) oratory, oration, formal speech-making, address, speech—formal speeches usually made by men during a pohiri and other gatherings.

Whakaahua:

(noun) photograph, illustration, portrait, picture, image, shot (photograph), photocopy.

Whānau:

(verb) (−a) to be born, give birth.

(noun) extended family, family group, a familiar term of address to a number of people—the primary economic unit of traditional Māori society. In the modern context the term is sometimes used to include friends who may not have any kinship ties to other members.

Whanaungatanga:

(noun) relationship, kinship, sense of family connection—a relationship through shared experiences and working together which provides people with a sense of belonging. It develops as a result of kinship rights and obligations, which also serve to strengthen each member of the kin group. It also extends to others to whom one develops a close familial, friendship or reciprocal relationship.

Wharenui:

(noun) meeting house, large house—main building of a marae where guests are accommodated.

Whenua:

(noun) land—often used in the plural, country, nation, state, ground, territory.

(noun) placenta, afterbirth.