Te Ao Māori

All about the indigenous culture of Aotearoa, New Zealand

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Words and Music: Earth the slumbering pūriri

In the Beginning Earth Breath on me Earth the cool breath of life Earth the slumbering pūriri Earth the misty valley Earth the departed sun Earth the tingling blue sky Earth the dark sheen of a woman river Earth the mottling tides tumbling ashore Earth the sweeping godwits Earth our home Earth the giving land…

Dolphins as Taniwha in New Zealand

Dolphins are mystical beings full of intelligence, compassion and consciousness. For different Māori iwi, dolphins hold sacred significance and they are known as  taniwha. They are considered tapu (sacred) and possessing a powerful mauri (lifeforce). What are Taniwha? Taniwha (pron. tan-ee-far) are mysterious creatures that dwell in the sea, rivers, lakes or in caves. They…

Short Story: Awhiina finds her orb

In the heart of the Pacific, there lies an island so remote it is whispered about like a myth. This island, cloaked in lush greenery and bordered by the endless blue, is home to Awhiina, a woman of quiet strength and profound connection to the natural world around her. Awhiina lived in a small village,…

Words and Music: Kua rongo ake au

Kua rongo ake au…. Kia kaha rā te puāwaitanga o tōu kaha Kei konā rā te puāwaitanga o tōu rangatirangatanga I have learned that… We can enjoy our jobs by changing our attitude Always do more than what you’re paid for, One day you’ll be paid for more than you do Kua rongo ake au…

Kaumātua Wisdom: Raparapa

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…

Comforting Thought: Saying sorry will go a long way

Kuoa rongo ake au… Akakoa iti noa te kuru pounamu He taonga tuku iho kia kaha, kia toa, kia māiai, kia mataara kia manawanui I have learned… A thoughtful note to someone you’ve avoided Saying sorry will go a long way

Phone someone today and say, ’I care…’

Kua rongo ake au… I tēnei rangi tonu toro atu Tōu ringa ki tō tamaiti, whāngaia tōu hinengaro Patua he waea ki tetahi atu, ki atu, ’Ko au e whakaaro nui atu nei, kia kaha’ I have learned… Today reach out  Hug your child Pat a cat, appreciate our country, Phone someone today and say,…

Words and Music: Call on a karakia

Kua rongo ake au… Mā te karakia mā te īnoi, mā te noho puku Ka taea e au ngā mea katoa I have learned… That I can call upon a karakia When I look for solutions to the Challenges that face me.

Comforting Thought: Rangimārie

Kua rongo ake au… Mā te karakia me te inoi Me te noho puku Ka tau te rangimārie ki a tātau katoa I have learned that… everyone can do a karakia Kua rongo ake au… Mā te āta katakata āta harikoa anō Mā te hiki ake i te wairua E tau tonu ai te māramatanga…

He Waiata Pepeha

Tere mai taku waka Tākitimu e Tū ana te maunga Haumia e Rere ana taku awa Waipaoa e Tau ana te whenua Rāwhiti e Tere mai taku waka Tākitimu e Tū ana te maunga Haumia e Rere ana taku awa Waipaoa e Tau ana te whenua Tūranganui a Kiwa e Tākitimu Haumia Waipaoa e Māhaki…

Comforting Thought: Destiny doesn’t create success, determination does

Kua rongo aku au.. Ētahi ka tau ki tōna taumata Nā te whai rawa rānei Kō te tini maha ka ū tonu nā te kaha rawa O tē whawhai manawapū I have learned that… Some succeed Because they are destined to But most succeed Because they’re determined to ~ Haare Williams, Words of a Kaumātua

The Māori Goddess Taranga by Robyn Kahukiwa

In Maori legend, Taranga is the mother of the god Maui and her husband is named Makeatutura. When Maui is born prematurely, Taranga wraps his body in her hair and throws him into the waves. In the ensuing years, sea-creatures care for Maui, hiding him in the sea coral and kelp until one day following a…

The Songs of Tangaroa ~ Ngā Waiata o Tangaroa

Te Au o te Moana Our nation was born in the bosom of the ocean where the sea leans on the land Our stories are intimately written in the narratives of ocean canoes sailings driftings taniwha whirlpools discoveries making our world wider The salt in our veins brought us together to find each other The…

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