The spiral begins
at the marae which is
the forum where every word
and the silences in between are heard
te whare tangata cycle of birth in the whare
nui where Rongo of the peaceful arts ascends
and connects us to the universe and nature
to the propensity to give, receive and
return and to embark on prodigious
journeys of ancient primal minds
and the spirits wherein lies the
inner sanctum of the gods
moral purity
the search for truth
durable strength protective
living spirit religion and art
ceremony architecture
a journey without
end that takes all
of us to
infinity.
From Words of a Kaumātua by Haare Williams, edited by Witi Ihimaera
Dr Haare Williams MNZM has been Dean of Māori Education and Māori Advisor to the Chief Executive at Unitec. He was General Manager of Aotearoa Radio. He set up a joint venture with the South Seas Film and Television School to train Te Reo speakers as producers and operators in film and television. He has worked closely with iwi claimant communities and was responsible for waka construction and assembly at Waitangi for the 1990 commemorations. He has published poetry, exhibited painting and written for film and television. He was a cultural advisor for the Mayor of Auckland and is Amorangi at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
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