taku kuru pounamu - university of waikato

TakuKuruPounamu

LeoniePihama,HineitimoanaGreensill,DonnaCampbell,RihiTeNanaandJennyLee

FirstPublished2015byTeKotahiResearchInstituteHamiltonAotearoa/NewZealandISBN978-0-9941217-1-4©TeKotahiResearchInstitute,2015Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproduced,storedinaretrievalsystem,ortransmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,withoutpriorwrittenpermissionofthepublisher.Photocredits

VabePhotography©:CoverphotoRawhitiroaPhotography©:Pages2,4,30,32,38.

www.rawhitiroa.comRobSuisted©:Pages6,20,34.

www.naturespic.comJessBoveyPhotography©:Pages8,22,24,26,44,52.

www.jessbovey.comUniversityofWaikato:Page10Skipperwhānau:Pages12,40LeoniePihama:Pages14,42,50,54JessicaMatehuiruaWhite:Page16Greensillwhānau:Page18DonnaCampbell:Page28AwhinaRangitutia:Page36MoeEdmonds:Page46AngelineGreensill:Page48,56

DesignandPrint

FusionPrintHamilton

TheTiakinaTePāHarakekeProjectwassupportedby:

Kiātātoutamariki.Eitinoaana,nātearoha.

HeMihiTēneitemihikiakoutoukatoaitautokomaiitekaupapao‘TiakinaTePāHarakeke’,otirāitewhakaputangaotēneitaongaheiwhakamanawaingāwhānaumengāhaporiirotoiārātoumahiwhakatuputamariki.Kei ngā puna o te kī, kei ngāmātāpunamātauranga iwhaiwāhi ki ngā uiui, ki ngāwānanga, kua rangatira tekaupapaneiiakoutou!Keingākanohihōmiromiro,meikorekoutouheiaumiriitātātoutaongakiapīataataai.

KupuWhakataki‘Takukurupounamu’(Mypreciousadornment)isawhakataukīthatspeaksofachildwhoislovedandcherishedbytheirwhānau.Itrepresentsforustheessenceofthispublication,anexpressionofthecollectivewisdomandvaluesofourancestors,andtheadorationthatwehaveforourtamariki.Aselectionofwhakataukī,orancestralsayings,formthebasisofthispublication.Eachwhakataukīreflects thecentralityandimportanceofchildrenin theMāoriworld.Theyalsogiveinsightsintopracticesthatupliftourtamariki,mokopunaandwiderwhānau.‘Takukurupounamu’wasbornoutoftheresearchproject‘TiakinaTePāHarakeke’whichexploresthemanaoftepā harakeke, the collective values that nourish all whanau members. ‘Tiakina Te Pā Harakeke’ provided anopportunity to investigateandunderstandmore fullyourknowledge,beliefsandpractices relating towhānau,andmore specifically childrearing, in the Māori world. What we found was confirmation that our own tikanga, ourculturalpractices,areaboutenhancingthewell-beingoftamarikiastaongawithinourwhānau,hapūandiwi.Thisisasmallselectionofwhakataukī.Manyofthemremindusthatweneedtobemindfulofouractions.Wemustalwaystreateachotherwithcareandrespect,especiallyourchildren.Ouractionsshouldensurethesafetyandwell-beingofourtamariki,mokopuna,andwhānau,andshouldneverbeharmful.Thesearecriticalmessagespassedtousbyour tūpuna.Theseancestralmessagesprovideuswithexamplesof traditionalchildrearingphilosophiesandpractices.Manyvaluablelessonsareencodedinthelanguageofwhakataukīandinthispublicationwetouchonbutafew.Indeciding which whakataukī should feature, it was important for us to acknowledge the voices of those whocontributed to ‘TiakinaTePāHarakeke’ and to include,wherepossible,whakataukī sharedwithus by kaumātuaduringourinterviews.Anumberofotherwhakataukīpertinent to thewhānaucontext,havealsobeenincludedasexamples of howwe can draw upon ancestral knowledge to support the care and nurturing of our tamariki andmokopunatoday.Whilethereisawealthofwhakataukīworthyofinclusioninthispublication,manywereunabletobeincluded,duetothetimeframeofthepublication.Wehopethatwehavedonejusticetothosewhakataukīthathavebeenincludedinthispublication.Wesetoutwithagoaltosharepositive,culturallyenrichedandeffectiveapproachestochildrearingasdefinedandpracticedbyourtūpuna. It isour sincerehope thatwehavedone thisand thatapplying theculturalknowledgeembodied in thesewhakataukīwillenrichandenhancetheexperiencesofourtamariki,mokopunaandwhānau.Thesearegiftsofmanalefttousbyourtūpunatosharewithpresentandfuturegenerations.

Hokiakitōūkaipō

Returntoyourplaceoforigin

Ūkaipōrelatestothesucklingofachildontheirmother’sbreastatnight.Inabroadercontextitrelatestoone’sancestralland,aplaceofnurturingandofspiritualandemotionalstrength.Weareencouragedtoreturntoourūkaipōtoensurecurrentandfuturegenerationsknowwheretheyarefromandaregroundedintheiridentity.

Māngāpakiakaetūaiterākau

Withstrongrootsatreewillstand

Apersoncannotstandifthereisnothingsupportingthem.Weneedtoknowwherewearefrom,whereourrootsareandtomaintainthosetiestowhānau,hapūandiwitoenableustoensurestrongconnectionsforcurrentandfuturegenerations.

Kotahitekākano,henuingāhuaoterākau

Atreecomesfromoneseed,butbearsmanyfruit

Thehua,orfruits,referredtointhiswhakataukīarechildren.Itremindsusthatwemustnurtureourchildren,wemustcareforthemandwemusttendtotheirneedssothattheygrowstrongandwell.

Hetaongatemokopuna

Grandchildrenareprecious

Agrandchildisveryprecious.Theyareafountainforancestralknowledgeandaneverlastingreflectionof thosewhohavegonebefore.They carry our strength and that of our ancestors.Theyareourfuturegenerationsandwithoutthemwewouldceasetoexist.

Nātemoaitakahiterātā

Therātāwastrampledbythemoa

The early influences in a child’s life are significant in their growth and development as aperson.Forthisreasonitisimportantthatchildrenarenurturedpositivelywhentheyareyoungandprotectedfrombeing‘trampledupon’.Doingsowillensurethattheydevelopintopeoplethatareconfidentandjust.

Eharatakutoaitetoatakitahi,engaritakutoahetoatakimano

Mystrengthisnotminealone,butthestrengthofmany

Providingandcaringfortamarikiisextremelydemandingandstressfuliflefttotheindividual.Havingsupportfromthewhānauandcommunityprovidesagreatdealofreliefforparentsandalsohelpstoensurethewell-beingofthecollective.

Tūngiateururua,kiatupuwhakaritoritotetupuoteharakeke

Setfiretotheundergrowthsothatthenewflaxshootsmaysprout

Clearingawaytheundergrowthenablesthehealthygrowthofharakeke.Inthewhānaucontext,there may be issues that need to be dealt with from time to time. Ensuring that they areaddressedallowswhānautomoveforwardinapositivewayandtoflourish.

Tamaitiākonakitekāinga,tūngakitemarae,tauana

Achildwholearnsathomestandsonthemaraewithdignity

Beingraisedwellathomeiscriticallyimportant.Whenchildrenaregivenguidanceandtaughtby their elders and parents how to conduct themselves properly, they are able to actappropriatelyinpublic.

Matuarautia

Raiseyourchildrencollectively

Raisingachildisnotanindividualendeavour,butratherajobforthemany.Whenachildisraisedcollectively, itbuilds theirconfidence.Theyknowwhotheyare, theyknowwhotheirrelativesare,andeachoneofthoserelativesiscollectivelyresponsibleforthechild’ssafetyandwell-being.

KiamaharakiaRona

RememberRona

ThiswhakataukīmakesreferencetothestoryofRona.OnenightRonawentouttofetchwaterandtrippedontherootofatreewhenthemoonhidbehindtheclouds.Shecursedatthemoonandwastakenawayforhertransgression.Thisisaremindertoustobecarefulofwhatwesayordo.

Hetaonganuitetūpato

Cautionisgreatlyprized

IntheMāoriworlditisseenasagoodthingtobecautious.Teachingchildrentobemindfulofthingsaroundthemandtoactwithcaution,particularlyinsituationswherethereisanelementofdanger,couldpotentiallysavethemfromharm.

Tamaitipiripoho,hearohawhāereere

Amother’slove,abreastclingingchild

Theclosenessofachildtotheirparentsisindicativeofalovingrelationshipinwhichthechildis cherishedandmade to feel likean importantpartof thewhānau.Sucha relationshipalsogivesachildasenseofsecurityandadesiretoremainclosetotheirwhānauastheygetolder.

Kotātetamarikihewāwāhitahā

Achild’sroleistobreakthecalabash

Ourtūpunaacknowledgethenaturaltendenciesofayoungchild.Childrenareinquisitiveandwillbreakthings.Thisisallpartoftheirplayandlearning.Asparentsitisourresponsibilityto teach our children to respect people’s belongings while at the same time nurturing theirnaturallyinquisitivenaturebycreatingasafeenvironmentforlearningandexploring.

Nāuiwhatutekākahu,hetānikotāku

Youwovethecloak,Iaddedtheborder

As a cloak is woven before the ornamental border is added, those raising children areresponsibleforthecharacteroftheirchildandothersenhancewhathasalreadybeenacquired.Contributions to thedevelopmentof skills inother specialities are seen toadd theelaboratetrim,orembellishment.

KoHinetītamakoe,matawaianatewhatuitetirohangaatu

YouarelikeHinetītama,asightthatcausestheeyestoglisten

Thisspeaksofthebeautyandsacrednessofwomenandisaremindertotreatouryounggirlsandwomenwithabsoluterespect.

Takumāhuritōtara

Myyoungtōtara

Thisphraseisatermofendearmentthatisparticularlysuitedtoyoungboys.Itacknowledgesboth the strength and fragilityofouryoungmenand is abeautifulphrase thatwecanuse toshowouradorationforthem.

Tepikooterākau,tērātetipuotemāhuri

Asthetreeisbent,soshallitgrow

Childrencanbelikenedtoayoungsaplingasitgrows.Inordertogrowhealthyandwelltheymustbenurtured.Intheirlearningandgrowingtheycanalsobemouldedinaparticularway.Positivecontributionstotheirdevelopmentwhiletheyareyoungwillenablethemtoflourishaspeople.

Hetaorākauetaeatekaro,hetaokupuekoreetaeatekaro

Thethrustofaspearcanbeavoided,butnotthethrustofwords

Wordsarepowerful.Theyshouldbeusedcarefullyandinwaysthatacknowledgethemanaofboth thewords spoken and the person spoken to. Thismeanswemust speakwith care andarohatoourchildren.Tospeakinwaysthatdemeanorabuseothersislikeaspeartotheheartandsoul.

Mātetuakanakatōtikateteina,māteteinakatōtikatetuakana

Olderandyoungersiblingscontributeequallytoeachother’sgrowthandlearnfromoneanother

Thetuakana-teinarelationshipisareciprocalonewitheachhavingresponsibilitiesfor,andlearningsfrom,theother.Whiletheoldersiblingmayoftenbearolemodelorexamplefortheyounger sibling to follow, there will still be things that they can learn from their youngerwhānaumembers.

Hekaipoutakamekinikiniatu,hekaipoutakamehorehoreatu,

mātetamaititeiho

Pinchoffabitofthepottedbird,peeloffabitofthepottedbird,butleavetheinsideforthechild

Acriticalaspectofraisingchildrenisthatweprovidethemwiththebestcarethatwepossiblycan.Ensuring that theirneedsaremetbeforeourown isanaturalpartofbeingaparentandguaranteesthewell-beingofourchildrenaboveallelse.

Heititangataetupu,heititokieititonuiho

Asmallpersonmaygrow,butasmalladzeremainssmallforever

People are always more valuable than material things. The importance of keeping this inperspectivecannotbeunderestimated.Byplacingourwell-beingandgrowthat thecentreofouraspirationswearesupportingourchildrenandwhānauinameaningfulandpowerfulway.

Tetauotakuate

Theseatofmyaffections

This simple phrase is a beautiful expression of the absolute love that one has for anotherperson.Itisamuchusedtermofendearmentthatwecansaytoourchildrentoletthemknowhowmuchtheyarecherishedandlovedbytheirwhanau.

Itinoaana,hepitomata

Onlyalittlemorselwithrawpotential

Latentinakūmaraseed,orindeedanylivingthing,istheabilitytogrowandproducemoreofitskind.Likethekūmara,childrentooarefullofpotential.Ourjobasparentsandwhānauistoensure that the potential of our children is realisedbybelieving in them, nurturing themandsupportingthemtodevelopandflourishaspeople.

Kohikohiangākākano,whakariteatepārekereke,kiapuāwaingāhua

Gathertheseeds,preparetheseedbedcarefully,andyouwillbegiftedwithabundanceoffood

Childrearing in theMāoriworld is often associatedwith the cultivationof kūmara.Like theenvironment of a child, a pārekereke, or seedbed, requires the right conditions for kūmaraseedlingstoflourish.Byprovidingahealthyandnurturingenvironmentforourchildren,wecanbecertainthattheytoowillblossom,growandflourish.

Tekukuotemanawa

Thepincersoftheheart

Embodied in this whakataukī are the feelings of love and affection that we have for ourchildren.Makingsurethattheyknowhowmuchweadorethemisanimportantwayofaffirmingtheirplaceinthewhānauandsupportingtheirwell-being.

Takuheipiripiri,takuheimokimoki,takuheitāwhiri,takukatitaramea

Mypendantofscentedmoss,mypendantoffragrantfern,

mypendantofaromaticshrubs,mysweet-smellinglocketofspeargrass

Thisrefrainwasoftensungbyamotherwhilenursingasanexpressionofloveforherchild.Thefourplantsreferredtowereadmiredfortheirscentsandwereworninsatchelsaroundtheneck.Themetaphorofachildasafragrantlocketwornclosetohisorhermother’sbreastisabeautifulrepresentationofthelovebetweenaparentandtheirchild.

Tāumahirā,eteitikahurangi

Yourworkiswelldone,mylittletreasure

Recognisingourchildrenfor thecontributions that theymake to thewhānauandcommendingthemforthingsthattheyhavedonewellisimportantbothasaculturalpracticeandalsoasaway of developing confidence and self-esteem. This whakataukī is fitting as anacknowledgementoftheeffortsandaccomplishmentsofourtamariki.

Herākitua

Adaytocome

Lifemaybringmanydifficultiesandchallenges.Despitethis, therewillalwaysbetimesthatare joyful. The key thing to remember is thatwhen things are not going sowell, never losehope.Wecanalwaysbeassuredthat thesunwill riseagain tomorrowwith thepromiseofanewdayandthepossibilityofanewbeginning.