TE WHAREKURA

Te Ao Hou, June 1967, Page 60

TE WHAREKURA Numbers 11 and 12 in the series Department of Education, 2s each reviewed by Kapunga Dewes No. 11—He Whakarapopototanga It is an interesting development that encoreāgement should be given to writers to express their feelings in poetry in Maori. Presumably it is intended that pupils or students of the language either express themselves in similar vein or learn something from the authors. The verses by Katarina Mataira and Meri Penfold are a departure from the traditional and modern song-poetry of their Maori people, in that individualism is the key to expresssion. Put simply, poetry is supposed to teach or shock in a positive way. Neither of these aims is really fulfilled by the verses in this publication. Katarina expresses her distaste for some foods which are delicacies and which have a high cultural value for many of her tribe; she shows no sympathy for the symbolism of the material culture of her people as represented by the carved house in a museum. Some of her lines are neigher poetically justifiable nor structurally acceptable (was this the fault of the editors?) e.g. should not Pukukai begin with ‘He aha te kai Kei roto i te puku’? Is it not the stomach that does the gnashing, moaning, groaning and screaming and not the food itself? (or was this intended?). Whare Whakairo has similar errors, e.g. ‘Te manawa (wairua) kua rere (riro)’, ‘Kore anō (E kore? E Kore noa?)’. Is the ‘whare kore take’ because it has no functional use though the ‘poutokomanawa’ are there to ‘mihi’ to its ‘Pakeha’ visitors? and the ‘whare’ invites its viewers to ‘whāwhā’ and photograph its decorations? Meri Penfold's Tirairaka is simple and rhythmic, though it does not quite capture the delightful, restless flitting and twittering of the fantail. Nevertheless, the twirl of poi balls in the double short poi dance and an appropriate chant-like music would depict the mood. In Hine Heihei was the moral of the story to expose laziness or reveal the rewards of hard work, and that theft (or covetousness) is repaid with death (Parera's, though the other two survived)? It is a pity that delicious tuna is a monster in this story, which is well written. Should not ‘Poaka Kunekune's kata’ be ngawī or horuhoru (page 13)? Etahi tikanga Māori could well be followed up in story or descriptive form, particularly the application in practice in certain areas of the niceties or prohibited behaviour where the supply of food might or might not be precarious. It is obvious from this publication and its predecessors that a glossary or a greater use of footnotes to explain dialectical or particular idiomatic expressions is needed. e.g. the synonomous terms for heihei are tīkaokao and pīkaokao, parera is pārera or rakiraki, etc. The illustrations and cover by Katarina Mataira are impressively done, and the reproductions are distinctive and pleasant. No. 12—Te Ropu o te Rangatahi o te rau tau ki muri Nā Wiremu T. Ngata In this booklet Secondary School and University teachers will find that Wiremu Ngata (son of Sir Apirana Ngata) has written and translated his material in Maori excellently. Advanced students in language will gain much from reading, re-reading and reflecting upon the information contained in the booklet. Because the Young Maori Party has a significant place in N.Z. history. I am very disappointed that the subject matter was not treated and co-ordinated with greater care. The Young Maori Party, the Kotahitanga Maori Parliament, and King Tāwhiao's Parliament were products of a significant period when there was a decline in Maori population and acreage in Maori land, and the Pakeha attitude (or sympathy) is symbolised in the presence on One Tree Hill in Auckland of Sir John Logan-Campbell's memorial to the dying race. The existence of these movements among the Maori people indicates to me that, thought there might have been some despair among the people, they were not entirely dispirited, because through these movements they independently clamoured for recognition of their identity, rights and some action concerning their welfare. The Young Maori Party was more effective (if not spectacular) than other movements because: 1. its members were dedicated at a very

youthful age to helping their people, as instanced by Rēweti Kōhere's and Timutimu Tāwhai's walks from marae to marae in their holidays, which probably led to the formation of the group; 2. its most prominent members and leaders had strong tribal identities, were schooled in Church boarding schools (notably Te Aute College) to become bilingual, and they were University trained; 3. as University graduates they were qualified in the professions with most prestige in Pakeha eyes and with most effectiveness in the Maori sense; 4. their conferences, papers and subsequent publicity were aimed at informing themselves and officialdom of the conditions prevailing at the time, and also in involving the Maori people in their deliberations; 5. they realised after some years that effective Parliamentary representation was a most necessary step in implementing their aims; 6. finally, the Party was fortunate in having Ngata as their foremost leader. Some questions remain unanswered: 1. What was the political, economic and social climate of the period which gave rise to the Young Maori Party? 2. Why didn't Te Aute College continue producing graduates and leaders of the calibre of Kōhere, Ngata, Wirepa and Buck up to the present time? Can educationists learn something from Thornton, the principal of Te Aute College at the time? 3. Why did Ngata and Sir James Carroll recommend long leases (but not sale) for Maori land and the system of farming by incorporation of owners? Why was it left until 1929 before Government funds were made available to develop Maori lands? (Note: at the time of the Young Maori Party State Advances loaned moneys to the Pakeha farmers). 4. What was the Young Maori Party attitude to the cry of Kotahitanga for a separate Maori Parliament and ratification of the Treaty of Waitangi, to the Waikato cries for investigation of their land confiscation grievances? 5. In what areas, geographically speaking, and in what fields, was the influence of the Young Maori Party most effective? What methods did they use to influence people? 6. Were some of the achievements credited to the Young Maori Party in fact the result of the individual efforts on the part of Pōmare, Ngata and Buck as Parliamentarians in a later period? My critical remarks should not minimise the value of the present publication, but they should serve a timely warning to other writers and the editor, that topics such as this need careful planning, research and supervision in order to whet the appetite of Sixth Formers (and first year students at Teachers' Colleges or University) to extend their reading in breadth and depth. As University students read some of these booklets, a bibliography of source material would have been very helpful. Could not some of the speeches and letters in Maori be edited as a follow up? The photographs are interesting, especially the one of the haka group with Ngata in front. I would like to have seen more explanatory notes on the circumstances of this hui. Kia ora koe, Wiremu, mō ēnei pitopito kōrero ataahua hoki.