Letters to the editor

Tu Tangata, Issue 21, 1 December 1984, Page 55

Letters to the editor

Nga tuhituhi

Dear Sir,

Marae Atea in Australia Land of the Aboriginals

The appropriate proverb follows: “He pa tuwatawata ka tu tonu he pa i te koraha he pau i te ahi”. Translation: “A fortified pa stands firm The one in the wilderness perishes”. Henry Tahawai Bird. I am deeply concerned at the desire of Dame Whina Cooper to support the establishment of marae in Australia for this reason “There is plenty of land for the taking over there”. I agree but let me remind that worthy lady that land is the turangawaewae of the aboriginal of Australia. The maori turangawaewae is back here in Aotearoa. There is ample land for many marae as one acre is sufficient for a marae complex when you consider its economies and its maintainance. Legalities through the Maori Land Court must first of all be carried out, as no doubt Dame Whina is aware of. Let me also remind Dame Whina Cooper that we are the scion of a proud and noble race.

“He Rangatira he kakano i ruia mai i Rangiatea”, therefore come home “ki te wa kainga” and leave the original inhabitants of Australia to fight for what is rightfully theirs as their very existence depends on having land. As migrants you are not breaking any law. As you are over there earning a good living and some of you have built your own homes. However, when you talk about acquiring land for marae purposes you are encroaching and imposing your culture upon an innocent downtrodden people who are struggling hard to survive in their own country. Before concluding I want Dame Whina Cooper to tell me where is the money coming from to finance the building of this marae complex, my marae which is up to modern standards with wharepuni, wharekai, whare ote pae atea, pouhaki, ablution blocks for men and women and its added toilet and shower facilities cost us almost SIOO,OOO. Furthermore it cost us $31,575 to furnish the wharekai with the best of furniture; floor covering, crockery, cool store, steam cookers and a electric stove for baking etc. I do not know the price structure in Australia but I am fairly certain you would be looking at $200,000 at the least.

Patricia Grace of Ngati Toa has won a year-long writers fellowship at Victoria University Wellington. An English teacher at Porirua College, Patricia’s writing career spans 20 years and one novel, two volumes of short stories, The Kuia and the Spider children’s picture book, the text for Robyn Kahukiwa’s paintings Wahine Toa and now a new

children’s book, Watercress Tuna, also featuring Robin Kahukiwa illustrations. Patricia plans to use the scholarship time to write more short stories and do research. Watercress Tima (pictured) published by Longman Paul in hard-bound English and Penguin in softback English and Maori editions.

This kind of money is hard to come by and with money as tight as it is, it would be much easier to come home to build a marae, or leave the Aboriginal land strictly alone. The meaning of “Tu Tangata” is “to stand tall” and you can only do that by building and establishing your own marae in Aotearoa na reira hoki mai ki te wa kainga. On the evening of the 29/8/84 Te Karere showed the destitute condition of 200 Maori homes up in the Northland area. With due respect, Dame Whina Cooper could harness her undoubted talents and energy and the energies of her people to get the authorities to build good homes for her people. In this day and age it came as a shock to see the plight of so many Maori families. It behoves you good lady to get your priorities right. E noho kite tiaki ito iwi, kite whawhai mo etahi whare kia totika whakaara tia mo te hunga kaore he whare. If you have already gone, come home, your people need you here. Those in

Australia can fare for themselves. Your leadership added to those who abound up North if pooled together could aleviate quickly the living conditions of those many Maori families. Let us all Stand Tall Together Yours faithfully, Henry Tahawai Bird (QSO).

Tena koe I read an article by Mereana Pitman in your latest Tu Tangata magazine regarding the works written by my aunt, Tuini Ngawai. This article stated that she went “door-knocking” to have her songs published. In fact, my aunt refused to have her songs recorded or published. It was only about three or four years ago when members of her Maori club met and decided to have her work published and recognised. But we did not go “doorknocking”. Yours sincerely Ngoi Pewhairangi