September 2025 Māori Law Review

Toutoua kia Whita – Tend to the Hearth – Ngārewarewa Tata

He karanga teenei, noo Ngārewarewa Tata, kia whai pou ki te whenua o taatou; kia ahi tuu, kia ahi ora hei here i oo taatou whakaaro, hei para i te huarahi moo te ture e tika ana moo taatou anoo.

Koopura, huia ngaa renga kaa-roa

Kaapuia, ki paeahi, te ahikoomau

Ngaa uri, ngaa ino

O te paeahi kāinga

 

Toutoua kia whita

E ngiha ai te ahi tapairu e

Hua nui, hua tau, hua ora e

 

Hoki mai e, roto ki te kaainga

Ahi teretere, maatao, maaeke.

Ki te ahi tuutata

Toro mai!

Hua nui, hua tau, hua ora e.

He waiata noo Ngaa Pua o te Koowhara, Ngaati Maniapoto, 2025

Gather the embers, the long glowing chips.

Heaped upon the hearth, where the smouldering coal endures.

Return, oh progeny, antecedents.

To the hearth of home.

 

Tend to the hearth

Feed the flames of the sacred fire

Ablaze with endless bounty, beauty and wealth

 

The home hearth beckons

Rekindle your flames, and flames long cold

Come closer, feel welcome,

Light it up!

New fruits, new life, new opportunity.

 

Tomokia mai ki taku whare waiata, he whare aro puu ki te ahi kaa, te ahi kaa roa me ngoona hua moo taatou a Ngaai Maaori.

Kua roa nei taatou e perea mai ana e ngaa kowhatu a Paakeha maa i roto i ngaa mahi ture. Naa whai anoo, he aahua wero too te whakatuupato nei. He karanga kia uu ki too taatou reo, kia tuu pakari moo ngaa manomanotau kei mua i te aroaro. He karanga teenei kia whai pou ki te whenua o taatou; kia ahi tuu, kia ahi ora hei here i oo taatou whakaaro, hei para i te huarahi moo te ture e tika ana moo taatou anoo.

He aha raanei teenei mea te ahi kaa? He whakapono, he tumanako, he kawenga. Ehara teenei mea te ahi, he mea whakamahana tinana anake - he mea whakaora i ngaa tapuwae kua memeha, he mea whakaaraara hoki i te tikanga e moe ana i te po o wareware. Ko te ahi kaa, he ahi tauawhitia e te ringa koroheke kia tukuna atu ki te ringa koohungahunga: he taonga tuku iho, he taonga herenga tangata, herenga taiao, herenga onamata, anamata anoo hoki.

E toru ngaa waahanga o te waiata nei hei pou whakaaro moo teenei tuhinga. Te kohikohinga o te maahoe, te kawenga ki te umu o kaainga, me tana whaangai ki te ahi kia kaa. Koinei te ara o te waiata, koinei hoki te ara o te ahi kaa. Naa teenei ka uu, ka tuu pakari maatou i roto i ngaa ngaru o te ture hei toka tuu moana. He mea hirahira teenei mea te ahi kaa moo a taatou mahi ture, kei riro maa te maatauranga ture anake e whakakii i a kete.

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Matike mai raa ko te poumataaho o tooku whare waiata; te kohikohinga o te maahoe hei kai maa te ahi. E kare maa, huia ngaa renga kaaroa. Kohikohingia te maahoe, te korimako. Ehara tēnei i te mahi tuupono noa iho, he mahi aata whakarite, he mea whakaruruhau kia roa ai te ahi e mura ana.

Moo ngaa tauira ture Maaori, ehara te kohinga o ngaa pukapuka, o ngaa keehi he mea uu ki te ahi kaa. Me ako hoki i te whakapapa, te reo, te maatauranga, me aro maarika hoki ki te orokohangangaa o ō taatou tuupuna. Ki te whai noa iho i te tohu ture, kiihai rawa atu te aro ki onamata, ki ahi kaa hoki. Aae, ka matatau ki te reo o ture, engari, ka maataotao haere te ahi o roto; te ahi o ngaa tuupuna.

Ka too mai te paatai; he aha raa taatou e ako ana, he aha taatou e ako ai?

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Teenaa, tahuri atu ki te poutokomanawa o tooku whare, aa, te hokinga ki te kaainga. Kua kohi keetia i ngaa renga e taatou, kua aata whakarite; naa runga anoo i teenei, kua tae mai te waa ki te hoki ki te kainga, kia unuhia te kaainga-kore, kia whakarauora anoo hoki i te ahikoomau.

I roto i teenei ao ture, me hoki rawatia taatou ki o taatou ake Turangawaewae. He hua nui taa te ture i a ia e haere takitahi ai me te tikanga. Koia raa te tumu o te ahi kaa. Maa taatou e whaangaia te ahi puritia ai e raatou ahi kaa maa me oo taatou akoranga ture, maa raatou hoki whakamahia i aua akoranga hei kora mo te ahi.

Ia taapaetanga, ia kereeme, ia tono ki te kaawanatanga, ia kaupapa taraipiunara; mei kore ake moo raatou ahi kaa maa, kua maumau katoatia eenei kaupapa - maumau. Ko raatou kee e puritia ana te whenua i a koe e whaiwhai haere ana i oo tono whenua. Ko raatou ka toutoua ki te whita o te paeahi i a koe e whai tohu ana. Kua tae mai te waa ki a hoki, ki a tautoko.

Ahakoa roia mai, kaituhi mai, me hoki ki a raatou, me ngaakau maahaki te aahua, aa, me whangaia i te ahi ki ngaa ture o te ao Paakeha. Ahakoa waewaetapu mai, me ngana rawatia. Ka ora tonu te ahi; ka karanga maarika te ahi ki te renga hou o toou.

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Ka mutu, te poutuuaarongo o taku whare. Te whaangai o te ahi kia mura, te toutoutanga o te paeahi o kaainga kia whita. He mahi whakapau kaha teenei, aa, i eetahi waa, he mahi whai mihi-kore. Moo taatou tauira maa, me wero maarika i te ture, me whai whakaaro ki te tikanga, me whakahee i ngaa ngana whakawhenumi o te kaawanatanga. Me kaha hoki te poipoi whaanau, hapuu, iwi hoki.

Ki te kore te ahi e toutou, ka mate. Naa, ki te kore te ture e panoni, ka hara. Me whai whakaaro auaha kia ora ai eenei mea e rua. Anei te wheako a oo taatou maatua tuupuna, oo taatou tuuaakana kua para kee i te huarahi ture. Ehara i te mea ka poipoi i te ahi moo te ahi anake, moo te whai mahi raanei; ka tiakina rawatia kia waatea ai he wahi noho mo raatou anoo, raatou ngaa uri whakatipu o aapoopoo.

Kua whakamaamaa ake raanei taatou i te ara moo te hunga e whai ake nei?

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Ngārewarewa Tata