By Richard Knight
Ally Matthews is from what he calls the lost generation, those who are Maori but know very little of their heritage.
He does not speak the language and knows very little of his whakapapa (genealogy) or exactly what it means to be Maori.
But, by the end of this year, he is determined to master the language, learn who his people are and hand a future to his children.
Mr Matthews, a musician from Tauranga, was one of more than 5000 people who rang the Ohu Kaimoana (Waitangi Fisheries Commission) iwi helpline, asking for help to discover his roots.
"I wanted to know who I am and where I was from, what my history was, who my people are and how I can get close to the tribe," he said.
The first step of discovery for Mr Matthews was a phone call to the iwi helpline. A form was sent out asking who his parents and grandparents were - which exhausted his knowledge of his history - and if he knew his tribe.
"I knew my tribe was Ngapuhi, but that's all I knew. After I sent the form away, I was rung up by a group in Kaikohe and was told I am now registered with the Ngapuhi tribe.
"Now I have an identity, I have somewhere to go and my children and their children have somewhere to go - we have a heritage."
Mr Matthews said his parents spoke Maori fluently within the family.
"They were brought up in the regime where if you spoke Maori at school, you were strapped. They didn't want that to happen to us."
But not everything has gone well on his trip of discovery. When Mr Matthews discovered that part of his heritage was from the East Coast tribe Ngati Porou he got a cool reception when he tried to establish his links.
"The people I spoke to were untrusting, they said I just wanted to sign on so I could receive benefits going to the tribe. I told them that was the last thing on my mind and am still trying to establish those links."
The 47-year-old father of five, who is comfortable around marae in Tauranga, will start his trip into the Maori world when he begins a language course at Tauranga Polytechnic this year.
"When I was introduced to the class last year, the tutor told the other students I was in the same position as they were - looking for an identity and wanting the language.
"I have always been proud that I am a Maori, and by the end of the year I want to stand on my marae and be able to speak the language."
Now, Mr Matthews will delve deeper into his world, finding out what hapu (subtribe) he belongs to, who his ancestors were and where his turangawaewae (standing place) is.
He is looking forward to making contact with his people and tribe.
Pictured: Ally Matthews. HERALD PICTURE / NICOLA TOPPING
`Lost' Maori pursuing heritage
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.