Kaumatua Hui

Kaea, Issue 4, 1 September 1980, Page 2

Kaumatua Hui

Ruka Broughton looks at a historic gathering of elders

Teeraa teetehi huihuinga nui a ngaa pahake o ngaa iwi nunui o Aotearoa, puta noa ki Te Waipounamu, i eke mai ki runga o Waiwhetuu i te 16 o ngaa raa o Aaperira. He hui i whakaterea e te Tari Maaori. Kotahi anoo ia o taua huhuinga peeraa, kei te moohiotia ake, inaa hoki kaatahi rawa te huihuinga nui kia karangatia ai ngaa taipahake o te motu katoa kia haere mai raatou kia noho tahi ake ai ki a raatou anoo. Ko ngaa kaumaatua nei ngaa moorehu toenga, ngaa taura whiri e hono ai ngaa uki o naianei kite iwi kua huri atu ki tua o te aarei, araa ki ngaa kaumaatua o te ao tawhito. Ko te tino pahake i tae mai ki taua hui, ko Tiki Paareti o Taumarunui.

Noo te Weneri ka tae mai ngaa manuhiri aa, naa ngaa iwi o Taranaki raaua ko Te Aati Haunui-a-Paapaarangi (Whanganui) i taki atu; ko raatou hoki i tae horo mai i taua raa. Noo te poo ka mihia raatou e te tangata whenua mete tuutuu mai hoki o ngaa manuhiri kite whakahoki i aua mihi raa. Noo aoake ka haere ngaa manuhiri kite Whare Paaremata; naa ngaa tauira raatou ko oo raatou kaiwhakaako o te Wellington Training College, tae atu hoki ki eetehi o ngaa taangata ake o Pooneke nei i poowhiri. Noo muri mai o teeraa ka haria ngaa manuhiri kite marae o Kookiri; kei Seaview teeraa marae, kia tuutaki ai raatou kite hunga kaawitiwiti. Ka hoki mai raatou i reira ki Waiwhetuu aa, naa te Minita o te Tari Maaori raatou i mihi, araa naa Ben Couch, raaua ko Taa Moihi Bennett. I muri tonu mai o te karakia i te poo ka haere ngaa koorero a ngaa koroheke. He whenua, he whakaputa whakaaro moo te reo Maaori aa, i teetehi waahanga o aua whaikoorero naa Heenare Tuuwhangai o Waikato i whakahuahua eetehi whakataukii a Taranaki raaua ko Waikato. Naa teetehi o ngaa pahake o Ngaati Ruanui o roto o Taranaki, araa naa Mohi Moeahu i whakatuuwhera teetehi waahanga ki ngaa waahine. Kaaore i aarikarika te haere o te koorero i a raatou; he kamakama kite koorero, he uu tonu hoki kite kaupapa kotahi, araa ko te aahuatanga o ngaa taitamariki. I muri mai o teeraa ka whakahokia mai e ngaa waahine te koorero ki ngaa tama taanee, ki ngaa taane kei raro iho o ngaa tau 65. Noo te Paraire ka haere ngaa manuhiri kite kai tahi atu mete Pirimia; noo muri raa i te poroporoakitanga i Waiwhetuu. Naa ngaa pahake o Ngaati Porou te poowhiri ki ngaa iwi o te motu kia huihui anoo raatou ki reira a te tau e tuu mai nei. Naa taua huihuinga, he nui ngaa take tootika i whai

maaramatanga. Ko te mea tuatahi, kaaore i ngaro te korekorenga o te nuinga pahake peeraa i ngaa tau ki muri; kua heke haere te nuinga pahake. Naa runga i teeraa aahua ka tau ngaa whakaaro nui a ngaa pahake ki ngaa taitamariki. I ngaa waa ki muri he mea maamaa noa iho te tiritiri i ngaa tamariki hei poipoi moo ngaa mahi whakairo, moo ngaa mahi karakia tatuu atu ki ngaa mahi e paa ana kite iwi nui; eenei mea katoa nei e paa ana kite aahua ote noho a te Maaori nootemea e noho tahi ana te tangata aa, maamaa noa iho te aaki i ngaa tamariki. Otiraa, kei eenei rangi naa te nohonoho ki ngaa taaone kua uaua aa, kua motuhia te aata noho a te whaanau; kua noho teenaa maaori i toona koko, teenaa i toona koko. Ahakoa kei te noho teenaa whaanau ki a ia ake, teenaa ki a ia ake ko te whaanau nui tonu, araa ko ngaa tooronga kua motuhia. Ko ngaa aahua me ngaa tikanga e taea ai te whakaako i ngaa taitamariki ki ngaa koorero a ngaa tuupuna, me ngaa tikanga hoki, he mea i puta kaha i roto i ngaa koorero a ngaa pahake.

I moohio tonu ngaa kaumaatua raa me too raatou aawangawanga hoki kite kaha ote ngaro haere ote reo Maaori aa, i runga i aa raatou koorero ka whakaarotia kotahitia e raatou kia whakamana e te ture te reo Maaori aa, kia aakona hoki i ngaa kura, mai i ngaa kura iti ki ngaa kura nunui; kia mana hoki te ako ki ngaa tamariki Maaori, engari ko eetehi tamariki eehara i te Maaori kei a raatou tonu te hiahia, te kore e hiahia raanei. Ko te whakaaro hoki, kite taea te pupuru ite reo ka taea te pupuru i ngaa tikanga.

Teeraa pea, he potopoto rawa te waa i huihui ai ngaa kaumaatua, inaa raa i te nui o ngaa take i puta ake ki reira. Ki taa te Maaori titiro, he poto rawa. Ko te rangi tuatahi o te huihuinga Maaori, he mihimihi katoa toona kaupapa; ko te poo tuarua he whakaputa whakaaro hei kaupapa koorerotanga aa, tae rawa kite raa tuatoru kua tiritiria ngaa take tootika hei koorero, hei whakawaa hei aha raanei. Nooreira, mei aahua roa atu pea taua hui kua pai kee atu.

Ko teetehi mea aahua ngoikore i taua huihuinga he tokopae tonu ngaa kaumaatua maatau kite reo Maaori engari he waa ka kookuhua he koorero Paakehaa. I teetehi waa ka tuu teetehi kaumaatua moo te haawhe haaora a ia e koorero ana, he reo Paakehaa katoa te whakapuaki. I aahua hoohaa eetehi o ngaa taitamariki; i haere atu hoki raatou kia rongo raatou i ngaa taangata maatau kite koorero i te reo Maaori tuuturu ake. Ko ngaa mahi waiata-a-ringa kei te piki haere, ki runga ake o ngaa waiata Maaori tuuturu ake, he kiinaki i ngaa whaikoorero; ki eetehi iwi raa. Heoi anoo, he hui pai, he hui whakaoho whakaaro.

A large gathering of elders representing every major tribe in New Zealand converged upon Waiwhetu on 16 April, sponsored by the Department of Maori Affairs. It was a unique occasion because, as far as it is known, it is the only hui of its kind that has been called on a national level to bring our old people together. These old folk represent the remnant of those who link us with the past, the oldest kaumatua present being Dick Barrett (Tiki Pareti) of Taumarunui.

The visitors arrived on the Wednesday and they were greeted by Taranaki and Ati Haunui-a-Paparangi (Whanganui) elders who had arrived earlier in the day. That evening the whole assembly was greeted by the host tribe, and visiting elders from the various tribes

reciprocated. The following day was taken up with a visit to Parliament, where the visitors were welcomed by students and lecturers of the Wellington Teachers College and other local representatives. The visitors were later taken to Kokiri marae, Seaview, to meet the young folk. They then returned to Waiwhetu where they were greeted by Mr Ben Couch, Minister of Maori Affairs, and Sir Charles Bennett. Following evening service the old men deliberated on matters concerning land, the Maori language and in one instance Mr Henare Tuwhangai of Waikato spoke on the proverbial sayings of Taranaki and Waikato. An elder of Ngati Ruanui, Taranaki, Mr Mohi Moeahu opened the session to the womenfolk who proved to be more versatile, vocal and consistent with their theme the young people. They later handed the discussions over to the men under sixty-five years of age. On the Friday the visitors attended a luncheon with the Prime Minister after being farewelled at Waiwhetu.

Ngati Porou elders extended an invitation to all tribes to meet in their area next year.

As a result of the hui several important issues became clearer. For a start it was obvious that the number of elders has decreased in recent years. The old people realised this themselves, and expressed their concern for the young. In former times it was an easy task to select certain young people for training in the arts, religion and politics of the Maori way of life because the people lived in their own tribal and communal environment and could afford to educate their children accordingly. Today because of the urban situation it is not so easy, and there has been a serious breakdown in communication between generations, and especially within the family circle; the

Maori has become more independent and while the close family circle is being maintained somewhat, the extended family situation has broken down considerably. These needs, and ways of meeting them in order to try and educate the young people in their ancestral heritage, were a major issue discussed by the elders.

The old folk were aware of and concerned about the decline of the Maori language, and in the course of their deliberations on the subject proposed unanimously that the Maori language be accepted as an official language and that it should be taught in schools at all levels but made compulsory only to those young people of Maori descent; others who wish to learn the language should be free to do so. It was thought that by retaining the language the culture would survive.

Perhaps the hui was far too short in view of the many varying subjects that were raised. In Maori terms it was too short. The first day of any hui is generally taken up with the mihi; the second night matters for discussion would be raised and by the third day participants would have sorted out all the important issues for comment, debate or whatever. Therefore, the hui could have been longer.

Another disappointing aspect of the hui was that there were a number of elders who spoke fluent Maori but every now and again would break into English. On one occasion an elder spoke for about a half an hour entirely in English. This is in fact upset some of the young people who went along hoping to hear fluent Maori speakers. Action songs seem to be performed more as a relish to the whaikorero than the ancient waiata, by some tribes at any rate. Nevertheless it was a successful and interesting hui.