Tikanga E-Book

Keri Opai

• Herausgeber: Upstart
• Kategorie: Geisteswissenschaft
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Seitenzahl: 197

Beschreibung

An introduction to te ao Maori The guide to understanding the Maori world from a 21st century point of view. The book we've all been needing for decades - a unique explanation of the world of Maoridom for Pakeha, and all others disconnected from the Maori world. . Told with simple lucidity and great expertise, Keri Opai shares the spirit and meaning of what it is to be Maori in the 21st century, dispelling myths and misconceptions and providing a view of our tangata whenua that people from other cultures can understand and take pride in. About the Author: Keri Opai is a linguist, educator and the author of Te Reo Hapai, the seminal work in creating a Maori language glossary for mental health, disability and addiction. He was the first person to qualify as an official Te Reo translator, and advises widely on cultural issues

Leseprobe

Tikanga

A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of New Zealand

ISBN 978-1-990003-17-2eISBN 978-1-77694-048-6

An Upstart Press Book

Published in 2021 by Upstart Press Ltd

26 Greeenpark Road, Penrose,

Auckland 1061, New Zealand

Text © Keri Opai 2021

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

Design and format © Upstart Press Ltd 2021

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Photography by Tania Niwa, Grand Master of Photography, www.tanianiwa.com

Designed by Nick Turzynski, redinc. book design, www.redinc.co.nz

Cover illustration by Ilycia Laverty

Printed by 1010 Printing Co. Ltd, China

Reprinted 2021, 2022 (twice)

For Aunty Dot — almost a centenarian and still ‘respectfully curious’.

Contents

Preface: te ao Māori — the Māori universe

1Te reo and respect

2Hei tāhuhu kōrero — fundamental understandings

3Pōwhiri/whakatau — welcome processes

4Whaikōrero — Māori oratory

5Pepeha — introductions

6Tangihanga — the Māori funeral

7Tikanga — doing things differently

8Tōna tūturutanga — restoring te ao Māori

9He pātai, he whakaminamina — questions and lighter moments

He whakakapinga — to conclude

Mōku ake — about the author

Preface: te ao Māori —the Māori universe

THE MĀORI WORLD IS, in fact, a Māori universe with all of the subtleties, idiosyncrasies and nuances of any culture. In this book, we will peer into the wharenui (meeting house) with respectful curiosity and learn to appreciate some of the fascinating intricacies of the people, language and culture of indigenous Aotearoa.

Tikanga is, simply and broadly speaking, a Māori ‘way of doing things’: the customary system of practices and values that are expressed in every social context. Based on the root word ‘tika’, to be right, correct. What the appropriate thing to do is in the circumstances. It is the constant, yet flexible, gravity of the Māori universe.

While, for many years, there has been a steady anthropological attentiveness to Māori things, ways and people, in recent years the interest and appetite to learn more about te ao Māori has grown exponentially among Pākehā people, recent immigrants and Māori who are disconnected from their language and culture.

This interest is welcomed by Māori, especially as it is on a personal level, as opposed to a distanced or scientific viewpoint, and it is the reason for this book. My intent, therefore, is not to attempt to write some sort of comprehensive handbook on an entire Māori universe, but it is an endeavour to guide the beginner to te ao Māori and begin to explore some aspects of it based on and around tikanga Māori (Māori customs and protocols) and te reo Māori (Māori language). However, this brings up the first challenge for me in writing it: how to assure you that I know what I am talking about without sounding boastful or arrogant.

Māori are not a homogeneous people. Each iwi (tribal nation), hapū (sub-tribal nation) and even region has very distinct attitudes, perspectives and tikanga. I was brought up in Taranaki and educated and instructed in the ways and worldviews of my iwi/hapū/region of Taranaki, and one of the central pillars of a Taranaki ethos is to be humble. At all times. In all things. One of my elders told me: ‘Whakapāpaku i a koe, hei rangatiratanga mōu’ — ‘To humble yourself is the attribute of the truly noble’.

Imagine how difficult it is in any job interview when your prospective new boss asks the inevitable question: ‘Tell me about yourself …’ and you have been trained to be humble and not sing your own praises!

I have found it extremely difficult to answer that seemingly innocuous question because every fibre of my being is screaming to not give a hint of arrogance lest my people find out and my mana (respect, status, pride, influence) is diminished. (Mana is an integral cog in how the Māori world works and we will explore that in the first chapter.)

One method I have employed in the past to cope with this conflict is by having an advocate to speak on my behalf. This can come across as the prospective new employee not being confident or articulate whereas, in fact, the Taranaki Māori interviewee is adhering to their tikanga, as they must, to ‘bring their whole selves’ to the new job. At one interview, I mumbled my way through the various questions designed to bring out information about me, my interests, experience and knowledge and, becoming frustrated with how difficult it was to skirt around the hints of being considered egotistical by my people, I ended up half throwing over my curriculum vitae and saying: ‘I’ll let my C.V. speak for me.’

Fortunately for me, the interviewer had been briefed on the Taranaki philosophy of humility and my reluctance to talk about myself and so the knowledge, experience and achievements articulated in my C.V. were enough to quickly sway the boss. I got the job.

But, dear readers, that still leaves us with the dilemma, doesn’t it? Why should you give credence to what I say in this book? Who am I to think myself knowledgeable enough to write with any authenticity or authority about tikanga and te ao Māori?

For the sake of expediency and because having an advocate speak for me is not possible in this case, I will merely list a number of things that I have done and experienced, and then you can decide whether or not to take on board what I have to say.

I …

Was trained and instructed by kaumātua and mātanga mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge experts) from an early age. I am now in my fifties.

Started teaching te reo and tikanga at seventeen.

Was a kōhanga reo teacher at nineteen.

Began teaching as a Taranaki Polytechnic tutor at twenty-one, their youngest at the time.

Gained a Māori interpreters licence at twenty-one, the youngest licenced interpreter in Aotearoa at the time.

Have, since then, been translating and interpreting everything from iwi Deeds of Settlement to children’s books.

Have three published children’s books that I advised on and translated.

Have taught at kōhanga reo, primary and secondary schools, kura kaupapa (Māori immersion schools), polytechnics, wānanga (Māori worldview-based universities) and university.

Have been a speaker at seminars overseas.

Gained a master’s degree in mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge systems).

Wrote a 50,000-word thesis in te reo, ‘E’ara te reo Māori i te reo tāmi i‘o i te mana wa‘ine’, an analysis of whether sexism exists in Māori language or not — a unique thesis topic written in Taranaki dialect.

Created Te Reo Hāpai — The Language of Enrichment. A te reo glossary for the mental health, addiction and disability sectors using positive Māori worldviews, including creating terms in te reo that previously did not exist, e.g. pāmamae heke iho (intergenerational trauma), mātau ā-wheako (lived experience), takiwātanga (autism).

Won an award in the Mental Health Service Awards of Australia and New Zealand in recognition of contribution to excellence, innovation and best practice in mental health services, for the creation of Te Reo Hāpai.

Was a finalist for the Tupu-ā-Rangi Māori Television national award for science and health.

Launched Te Reo Hāpai as a website with audio function and new word/concept additions, e.g. Aroreretini (ADHD), Manaakiao (Williams Syndrome).

This book is aimed at locals and visitors alike, but as a point of difference, it is my intention in it to share the answers to a universal question that can elude other publications with a similar topic.

Simply, why.

There is much information on the what, how and even when concerning tikanga. But not a lot on the reasons the elements of tikanga have developed. My kaumātua (this word is both singular and plural so in this case — ‘elders’) would always say: ‘The real wānanga is always why.’ ‘Wānanga’ means to contemplate, to think deeply about something and is also a learning experience.

Also, as much as I know, as much as I have been taught, as much experience as I have teaching, living and breathing the marae and te ao Māori, I have always maintained a childlike fascination with it, a deeply respectful curiosity about it and a beginner’s eye and full appreciation of it and its wonders.

COURTESY OF MĀORI TELEVISION.

I hope you will join me on our journey to understand and explore more in these pages.

Chapter 1

Te Reo and respect

Speaking te reo

If we follow logically the premise that words, language and how you use them have power, can something as peripheral as pronunciation of te reo Māori also have the potential to have deleterious or beneficial effects?

I believe so, yes.

You may have noticed in recent times more of an effort from the various radio and TV channels to include some phrases in te reo in their broadcasts. During the news, segues such as ‘E haere ake nei’ — ‘Coming up’ and ‘Kia ū tonu mai’ — ‘Stay tuned’ are used or during the sporting segment you may hear ‘Ki te hākinakina’ — ‘Now to sport’, ‘Ki te rīki’ — ‘To rugby league’ and a myriad of other such phrases.

This used to be more common during Māori Language Week, but these days it permeates state-run media. It may have been a commercial imperative to not continue to butcher te reo on NZ TV, but as well as this, it is just in line with a more general acceptance and encouragement that one of the official languages should be valued and respected.

Keep an eye on that word, ‘respect’. To show respect is incredibly important in any culture, and for the longest time for Māori people, we haven’t felt that our language has been respected. So here, in practical terms, is something that anyone can do to show respect for te ao Māori: learn to pronounce te reo Māori well. Please!

TE WHAKAHUA — PRONUNCIATION

I believe that one of the fastest ways to show respect for anyone and any culture is to learn to pronounce their language well. I don’t think you need to become fluent in every language to do this, but wherever I have gone in the world I have worked on a few key phrases and local customs to show my respect for the local people and country that I am in. And that opens doors, hearts and minds tout de suite.

So, it stands to reason to first learn to pronounce the indigenous language of this country, especially considering the amount of time everyone who lives here will be saying Māori placenames.

Imagine how much more difficult it is to establish a rapport with someone when you can’t pronounce their name properly (or respectfully) or if you never say their name for fear of mispronouncing it. And how would you feel if someone you interacted with on a regular basis constantly mispronounced your name (some of you may have had that experience). At the very least you would find it annoying and therefore it would be more difficult to merely establish any sort of friendly or working relationship.

For me, the formula to keep in mind is quite simple: if you show respect for the language, you are showing respect for the culture; if you show respect for the language and the culture, you are showing respect for the people.

Right, so how to avoid these sorts of uncomfortable interactions. The following is a basic guideline to pronouncing te reo well. There are also many apps and YouTube videos that can help. I recommend ones from reputable sources like Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori/The Māori Language Commission. The online Te Aka Māori Dictionary is a useful resource that also lets you hear a word’s pronunciation.

CONSONANTS

There are eight consonants:

H K M N P R T W

Most are just pronounced as in English, but the slightly tricky one is ‘R’. The best way I have heard to describe its sound is as in the word ‘purr’. The cat ‘purrs’. If you learned to roll your ‘r’s when you were a child, this will come more naturally to you. If you didn’t, it is harder to learn but you can do it!

Digraphs

Digraphs are two letters that make one sound. In Māori there are combined consonants:

Try saying ‘ringer’ (also a good exercise to practise the ‘r’, but I recommend you try one new thing at a time). Then add an ‘a’ — ‘ringa’. Then try ‘ringa’, ‘singa’, ‘blinga’.

It just takes practice.

A quick note about ‘whaka’ (this is called a ‘causative prefix’). Yes, it sounds like the infamous swear word in English. But te reo isn’t English! It isn’t a swear word. Please fully pronounce words or placenames that start with ‘whaka’. It is ‘Whakatāne’, not ‘Wakatāni’. First, that isn’t a word and, second, again, by mispronouncing people’s names or placenames you unconsciously end up denying the history and whakapapa of that person or place.

Pronunciation tangles

A couple of quick examples of where incorrect pronunciation has the opposite effect.

I once stopped at a gas station on my way to a tangihanga (Māori funeral — tangihanga is the full term for a ‘tangi’) to ask for directions to Tīrau. I asked the customer service representative for the directions while pronouncing ‘Tīrau’ properly (Tee-ro). Before he even answered with any advice on a route he insisted on ‘correcting’ my mispronunciation. ‘It’s Tee-row mate, Tee-row!’ (with the ‘ow’ in ‘row’ said as if someone has stood on your foot). I gently informed him that I was a teacher of te reo Māori and a fluent speaker and that it was very definitely pronounced ‘Tīrau’. He then doubled down and insisted that I was wrong; it had always been called ‘Tee-row’ and he added the epically classic line with utmost vehemence: ‘Look mate, it’s Tee-row. I should know, I’m a local!’

On a train once, in the Wellington station, a flustered woman who was obviously running late jumped on quickly and asked me if this was the train to ‘Para-param’. In all sincerity, I turned to her and said: ‘No. This is the train to Paraparaumu.’

She consequently got off and missed it.

I had no intention of being mean or misleading. I simply couldn’t answer her in the affirmative because, for me, the mystical land of ‘Para-param’ doesn’t exist. And mispronouncing Māori placenames, and Māori people’s names, is the equivalent of denying the history and whakapapa (genealogical connection) contained therein.

I did feel quite sorry for the woman as the train pulled out of the station and I have often wondered if there was a way of handling the situation better. In my defence, I was a teenager at the time.

Vowels

Quick question: how many vowels are there in te reo? If you answered ‘five’, technically, you are correct. But I would like you to think that there are actually ten vowels in te reo because there are ten distinct vowel sounds and putting the emphasis in the wrong place can alter the meaning of the word. Don’t worry. This is not as complex as it sounds. You only have to remember one rule for clarity: that while there are five vowels in te reo Māori, each one of these can be pronounced short or lengthened (the macron above the letter indicates a lengthened vowel), e.g.

a, e, i, o, u and

ā, ē, ī, ō, ū

If you have never had the opportunity to learn how these sound, the good thing is that most sounds in Māori language are also in English. So you have already spoken them at some stage.

The short vowel sounds are like the following:

For the lengthened vowels it is a case of a similar sound for a slightly longer period. Think of:

Mistakes are inevitable but forgivable. And they can lead to some interesting conversations. See the following example for demonstrating how important vowel length is:

You probably don’t want to get ‘you and I’ and ‘war party’ mixed up! Like anything else, this just takes practice. But master the basic pronunciation of te reo and 99 per cent of the time your pronunciation of new words will be right and 100 per cent of the time you will be showing respect for the language, culture and people and your efforts will be appreciated. Making mistakes is natural when learning anything new so have patience with yourself but do practise, practise, practise! Me heke te werawera! — To perspire is to be expected when you make a supreme effort!

Diphthongs

Diphthongs are two vowel sounds run together as a single syllable. The sound begins with one vowel and moves towards the other. I have added familiar sounds, words and phrases (at least, in English pronunciation in this country) to help guide pronunciation:

āe

ai

ao

au

h

igh

b

i

te

t

ow

er

c

oa

t

ea

ei

eo

eu

p

ea

r

l

ay

m

e

nt

or

e

t t

u

, Brute?

ia

ie

io

iu

b

ee

r

s

ie

sta

s

ee

s

aw

f

ew

oa

oe

oi

ou

b

o

r

a

bora

c

o

rt

e

x

t

oy

d

oh

ua

ue

ui

uo

David T

ua

t

u

b

e

L

oui

e

wh

o

s

a

w

Other tips

Every Māori word will end in a vowel and can be divided into syllables consisting of:

a consonant plus a vowel or vowels — ka, nui

a single vowel — a

a digraph plus a vowel — ngā

Something relatively simple but that can make all the difference in Māori people perceiving the effort that non te reo speakers have made worthy of respect is the emphasis placed on a Māori word. Think of any non-native speaker of English that you have ever met. Recall their pronunciation and emphasis on parts of English words. Do they stress the right ones? Don’t you feel the utmost respect for someone who was brought up to speak another language as their first language yet seems to speak English better than most native speakers? Think of the many speeches given in a forum like the UN. Isn’t it admirable when people can speak a number of languages and are equally fluent in all of them? I know I am suitably impressed listening to these people. The same goes for a non-native speaker of te reo. Someone who has put the effort in and by no means is fluent or has the vocabulary of someone who was brought up speaking te reo Māori as their first language but sounds like a native speaker with the Māori words that they know.

Here is the secret — emphasis. Where you stress within the words.

Syllable stress

Māori language (and, in fact, most languages of the Pacific) are based on a syllabic stress rhythm. So, syllables. ‘Whakatipu’ is said ‘wha/ka/ti/pu’. Aotearoa is ‘ao/tea/ roa’. Pikopiko is pi/ko/pi/ko etc.

This takes a bit of getting used to but is relatively straightforward and consistent.

Another really important secret to help with fluidity and fluency with the Māori words that you know, might learn or say every day and want to pronounce properly is this little gem: Māori words generally emphasise the first syllable(s) of the word. So, it is Taranaki, not Taranaki. It is Waikato not Waikato and it is Whanganui, not Whanganui or Whanganui. And by the way, it is definitely not ‘Wanganui’. That word is nonsensical and doesn’t mean anything.

So, when you see or hear a new Māori word or placename, try this new knowledge out. There are a few exceptions, but as a guide this works the majority of the time. Try these random words:

hauora (health), rorohiko (computer),

kaiwhakaako (teacher), pukapuka (book),

Tongariro (the mountain)

Keep in mind folks, these are just guidelines to helping you gain knowledge and confidence in your pronunciation in a comparatively short time. The linguistic study of te reo Māori is a fascinating but complex subject and is beyond the scope of this book. There are, of course, abundant resources for this study if you are so inclined. There are many books and university courses, but my personal recommendation is Reo Māori o Nāianei — Modern Māori Books 1 and 2 by P.M. Ryan. A fantastic resource with lots of practical examples. It emphasises practice over too much grammar-speak.

If that is the way that you prefer to learn, tukuna kia rere — go for it, but after teaching thousands of people over the years I have found very few who sounded fluent by learning only grammar. Of course, there are many ways to learn, but my interest here is the impetus on learning to pronounce te reo well in the first instance.

Keep in mind that simple equation: if you show respect for the language, you are showing respect for the culture; if you show respect for the language and the culture, you are showing respect for the people.

Just a side note. If this book seems quite laden with te reo, it is because it is difficult to separate te reo from tikanga, and it is probably folly to do so. They really go hand in hand and back each other up. Also, Māori worldviews tend to be holistic. The legendary Sir James Henare, kaumātua elder statesman of Northland and grandfather of current (in 2021) sitting Member of Parliament Peeni Henare, famously said: ‘Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori’ — ‘The language is the life force of Māori mana’.

He mana tō te kupu — words have power

One of the taonga (treasures) that was taught to me was the ability to understand the ways and thinking of our tūpuna (ancestors) by analysing the construction of words in te reo, the etymology of words and the language itself. Much like the English school teacher who is the only one who knows (and is interested in) word origins, I feel very privileged that I was given this taonga. Of course, it is from my Taranaki wellsprings of knowledge so other iwi and regions will have variations in their explanations. So, I will bring these words and elucidations up as appropriate.

I’d like to start with this one: Pākehā.

Considering some of the ludicrous interpretations for this word that I have heard, I can understand why some Pākehā people may take offence at it. White flea, white pig, the list goes on (my favourite is ‘Moonlight glinting off the cheek of a Pākehā person at night!’).

The reality, according to my elders, is a little more down to earth but equally interesting. Similar conceptually to elsewhere in the Pacific, in Samoa — Paalangi, in Rarotonga — Papa’ā:

pā — to touch, strike or affect (in this case, affect)

ke — from kē — different or in a different way or direction

hā — breath or essence (in this case, essence)

So, a Pākehā was a person that affected the environment differently from a Māori person. ‘Māori’ just means natural, normal, average. Fresh water from the environment is wai Māori.

As you can see, there is nothing inherently derogatory in the word ‘Pākehā’. I think it is unique and is more appropriate for white-skinned people of this country because it speaks to the presence of people other than tangata whenua (people of the land, i.e. indigenous people of Māori descent) who are here via the treaty of Waitangi — tangata tiriti (people of the Treaty).

I remember having a quiet laugh to myself when I heard of a Pākehā person who refused to call herself a Pākehā because she didn’t want to be called a Māori word. She insisted she should be called a ‘Kiwi’. Another Pākehā woman pointed out to her that ‘Kiwi’ is a Māori word …