Waka hourua like a marae on Tangaroa

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

It is with sadness, confusion and mamae that I respond to the “Waka hourua row” article on the 5th and the TV3 Hui coverage the next night.

In Pakeha terminology, we ask, “What the hell is going on people?!”

To see a Gisborne Herald picture of nga rangatira, kaumatua and pakeke fronting to try to resell a whakapapa that is already established and ingrained —particularly for a lot of us who were in support way back — that was sad to see. It shouldn’t be happening to our old people.

“Aroha mai kia koutou.”

I checked the TVT website; that was hopeless, nothing up.

Anei nga whakaaro.

Waka Hourua Tairāwhiti, when out in te ao o Tangaroa, is likened to a marae.

I understood the kawa me nga tikanga was set prior to the construction and reinforced prior to the launch.

The whakapapa of te Tairāwhiti hourua waka and its people of the day had created whakapapa space in our Tairāwhiti voyaging history — so, please, no gaps in the whakapapa.

If the TVT modern-day sell is more about connecting people to Tangaroa, health and wellbeing, just be mindful.

If the kawa and tikanga is not right and maintained, the mauri that was set those years back will be impacted and there may be risks to our people entering and journeying out on that marae.

If people just want a connection with Tangaroa for health and wellbeing, grab a bunch of plastic kayaks — that’s what we did back in the day, no problem.

Flying back from New Caledonia following the South Pacific Art Festival in 2000, Parekura Horomia and I talked about the support for a waka hourua in Te Tairāwhiti, and the person who was capable of leading that initiative. Te Aturangi had just come off the back of a number of voyages and at that stage was reaching out for support.

I myself had just been on a 13-day voyage across the Pacific, ending at the South Pacific festival in Noumea.

So, it’s what you cannot see that you need to be mindful of — not just a bit of paint and a few scratches — to keep the marae mauri together, warm, safe and respected.

Kia kaha

Joe McClutchie