Maori-Tanga

Te Ao Hou, March 1968, Page 24

Maori-Tanga Maramara nui a Mahi, ka riro i a Noho Mauri mahi, mauri ora; Maori noho, mauri mate Ma mahi, ka ora. Do you know what this means? Are we secure in the knowledge of our forefathers? Where is the knowledge of our forefathers? Has it flown with them to Te Reinga, or is it lying dormant in some dark place waiting to spring forth into a new life? What is happening to our culture and whakapapa? Is it, too, slowly fading into a memory of the past? Is it slowly dying like our elders, or are we upholding our traditions and culture? How many of our young people who leave school each year know little or nothing of their culture? I really don't know, and maybe the exact figure isn't very important to you, or is it? Don't you think that as an older generation we should be taking the place of our kaumatuas who are passing on? Our Maori tradition has been kept alive from generation to generation by being passed on from father to son. Why should not we take up the leadership that our elders have left in our hands? There is an old saying which goes—‘Where two bloods are mingled, there the blood grows stronger.’ Many of our people today are of two bloods, but still we have only one culture. Why are we so proud of our Pakeha blood and the Pakeha culture? What is there to be proud of that we are letting our culture die? Why should we hide behind the glory and the mana of the past generation? Why should we carry the flame of glory that they won upon our shoulders? All we are doing is hiding behind their greatness, when we should be to the fore, carrying on and following their example. If every man and woman of our present generation learned a little of our culture and tradition and passed it on, then maybe we would be able to say, ‘Well, I helped.’ But is this enough? Why do we let one or two carry the whole burden of learning and of passing on our traditions? Where is our mana? What example are we setting for our younger people? The present system operates against our language and culture surviving, and it is hard to see how our ceremonial life, which the Pakehas do not have and do not know anything about, can exist unless the culture and language survive. It should not only be taught in the schools but should be taught in our very homes. Our very first lessons that we have are at home, and here is the very heart of all our knowledge. For here we get our basic training, Here is the very beginning of all our learning. As you notice, at the beginning of this article there is a Maori proverb. Here is the translation: The food and the fruit Of those who labour Often fall on those Who are lazy. Industry begets prosperity; Idleness begets poverty. By work we prosper. Yes, and by action we can help our people to learn and keep our tradition and culture alive. So let's put our shoulders to the task and set an example to our young people and teach them the ways of our Maoritanga. Ma pango ma whero ka oti. Only by the united labour of chiefs and people can the task be accomplished. Do not let us read this article and say, ‘Yes, he's right’, and forget about it. Now is the time for action. Tomorrow will be too late. Kia ora koutou. P. W. Hau