The woman behind the face

Tu Tangata, Issue 34, 1 February 1987, Page 46

The woman behind the face

na Ropata Pakai

“Chicago, Chicago, that wonderful town,” certainly Iranui Potae-Haig and Tai Pewhairangi, kaumatua of Whanau-o-Ruataupare o Tokomaru, may have sung the old song but never thought that they would get to see Chicago.

Iranui Potae-Haig was the lady whose photograph heralded ‘Te Hokinga Mai Te Maori’. ‘Te Maori’ for Iranui and Tai Pewhairangi was an experience that they accepted with deep humility and a sense of honor and pride.

At first they were reluctant, then their whanau told them that they were the ones best able to portray Maoridom at its best. A quiet humble pride then replaced the feelings of unsureness and the desire to do the best, overshadowed any feelings of inadequacies.

Both Ngati Porou kaumatua who are in their late seventies, left their tribal lands to go across the sea. They typified so many elders who although they held fears of the unknown, acknowledged

the need to accompany ‘Nga Taonga O Aotearoa,’ Te Maori. Iranui said, “My heart wept when I entered the doors of the ‘Field Museum’ in Chicago.” She thought of all the people who had gone before her tipuna, the things that she had seen and heard while growing up as a child in Tokomaru, the traditions and customs that were a way of life for a young girl. “Our tipuna were with us, they walked with us, they were all around us.” She spoke of ‘the mana and the wehi that the taonga radiated.’ The life-force that the precious objects seemed to exude. The very real awareness that these were not inanimate things. A surprise bonus was the wharetipuna that they saw within the halls of

the ‘Field Museum’. It was not part of ‘Te Maori’. They found out that the meeting house belonged to them. It was a heart stopping moment. It was like seeing a beloved child that had been gone for a long time. So these moko-puna-o-whanau-o-Ruataupare greeted this treasure that they found with the respect that was due. Ada as Iranui is known, is pleased that she took the opportunity and went. Grateful for the trip, she maintains she received so much more than she and Tai Pewhairangi could ever give back. Both kaumatua feel the one good thing that has come out of Te Maori, is the need and awareness that is growing amongst Maori people, over the beauty and wairua that taonga have. Many elders are pleased to see this force that is gathering momentum throughout - Te Ika A Maui. They cannot help wondering what all the fuss is about, as this is something that today’s kaumatua were taught as tamariki.