Alan Armstrong, of Wellington, is joint author (with Reupena Ngata) of ‘Maori Action Songs’. A second book, ‘Maori Games and Hakas’, is to be published shortly. This article is the first of two in which he discusses the teaching and presentation of action songs and hakas. The second article will appear in our next issue. Maoritanga In The Mire? GOOD TEACHING LAYS THE GROUNDWORK by Alan Armstrong ‘Maoritanga in the Mire?’ which appeared in the last September issue of ‘Te Ao Hou’ has led some of my friends to take issue with me on the grounds that the criticism which is contained was not constructive (on the other hand a kaumatua whose name is a household word throughout Ngapuhi told me I had not gone far enough, which goes to prove the old adage—‘yer can't win!’). I shall therefore (greatly daring) try and be more constructive. Our good editor in the heading to ‘Maoritanga in the Mire?’ referred to me as an ‘expert’. Truthfulness, as well as modesty, leads me to deny any such claim. Living in Wellington I am constantly in contact with people whose knowledge of matters Maori is (at a conservative estimate) about ten times more than mine. I hasten therefore to give myself a status which cannot be assailed—that of a critical observer, which is everyone's prerogative. If other ‘critical observers’ now like to go ahead and take issue with me, that is well and good. In considering Maori culture today, there are two fields in which a great improvement is not only possible but necessary. One of these is the way in which it is taught and passed on to our young people. The other is the way in which it is presented on the marae and concert platform. This article will discuss teaching technique.

Technique a Necessity Technique is important when teaching both haka taparahi and action song. Often they are taught extremely badly if the end result is any criteria. Too often, teaching consists merely of performing the item over and over again with perhaps a few experienced performers carrying the rest. Faults are left to iron themselves out, and of course they never are corrected, and so mistakes are perpetuated into actual concert and even competition performances.

Explaining the Item It is very important that performers understand the nature and significance of the items which they are to learn. When this is neglected, the result is an unconvincing performance and vague actions because performers do not understand what they are trying to say. Even quite competent users of colloquial Maori cannot translate without help the literary style affected in some taparahi and waiata where archaic words and usage serve to obscure the meaning for present-day speakers of the language. Therefore an item must be introduced before it is taught and at least a general explanation, if not a line by line translation, given to the performers.

The Words Haka and action song are above all the expression of a message—a message of the soul. It is the words which convey this message. The actions are merely a vehicle for the words—a means of emphasis which express little in themselves. If the words do not reach the audience then, to a Maori, the whole performance is meaningless and sterile. Many of the best teachers begin their teaching session first with practice in vowel sounds. Maori speech today has become so corrupted by the flat, tight-lipped English vowel sounds that some vocal limbering up is very important when there are a high proportion of young people in a group. The next step is to learn the words thoroughly before the actions are attempted. There is often a great urge to get onto the actions quickly and the result is either mumbled in-