Iwi united under the mountain

In this world of digital separation, the physical connections of whakapapa (genealogy) and kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face) meeting are more important than ever, especially for indigenous tribal societies.

During Labour Weekend, the Taranaki Tu¯ Mai festival in Manaia united hundreds of people from the eight iwi (tribes) of the region through competition and whakawha¯ naungatanga (relationship building).

Because the iwi of Taranaki haven’t always played nicely together.

In fact, our shared history under the maunga involved iwi fighting each other in various generations, and even though peace was made it didn’t necessarily mean that everything was sunshine and parties.

In many ways, Parihaka helped heal the divisions between iwi.

People were meeting and talking regularly at Parihaka and the increased contact inevitably resulted in marriages (and other liaisons), because there are many Taranaki Ma¯ ori who can whakapapa to multiple iwi.

The word iwi literally means bone, but it also refers to the genealogical connection to a common tu¯ puna (ancestor) of hapu¯ and wha¯ nau. Traditionally the hapu¯ (clan) was the primary social grouping, and the collective of hapu¯ unified as iwi in times of war or other important occasions.

Before the Treaty of Waitangi each iwi was effectively it’s own nation state, with its own political leadership and the tongi (boundary markers) demarcating the borders are still well known.

Mokau to Titoki (off Pukearuhe Rd) is the rohe (district) of Nga¯ ti Tama. From Titoki to Te Rau o Te Huia (an old pa¯ beside the Waiau river in Onaero) is the rohe of Nga¯ ti Mutunga. From Te Rau o Te Huia to Onuku Taipari (at Paritutu) to Stratford is the rohe of Te Atiawa. From Onuku Taipari to Raoa (a stream south of Opunake) is the rohe of Taranaki iwi. From Raoa to Waingongoro stream is the rohe of Nga¯ Ruahine. From Waingongoro to Whakaahurangi to Whenuakura river is the rohe of Nga¯ ti Ruanui. From Whenuakura to Waitotara river and to Taipake is the rohe of Nga¯ Rauru. Nga¯ ti Maru are inland of the Waitara river through to the headwaters of the Patea. These iwi boundaries still have relevance even though towns, districts and regions were layered over them. Central, regional and district government also recognise these iwi boundaries.

In recent times, post settlement governance entity structures dominate iwi and government relationships because the Crown only deal with mandated iwi organisations.

In a way this has helped modern hapu¯ and iwi unite through the settlement process.

Since the Land Wars there have been many pan-tribal movements including the Kı¯ngitanga, the Kotahitanga, Ratana and the other churches (including the Catholic Hui Aranga during Easter) and there have been a plethora of Ma¯ ori sporting tournaments through the years including the recent Taranaki Ma¯ ori Rugby League tournament in Manaia.

While similar to the gatherings of yesteryear, the Taranaki Tu¯ Mai reflects tribal festivals like the Tuhoe Ahurei incorporating sports, kapahaka and wa¯ nanga (discussions) that bring the uri (descendants) back home to celebrate their tribal roots.

Taranaki Tu¯ Mai was started in 2009 in Waitara, and the Manaia tournament was the fifth event.

This year Nga¯ ti Maru were the overall aggregate winners and it’s impressive observing how Ngati Maru have used Taranaki Tu¯ Mai to rally their people in kotahitanga (unity).

Lately I’ve been noting the use of the word tribalism by media to refer to political fracturing in the United States and in other countries.

While tribalism can refer to loyalty towards a subgroup, too often it is used as an accusation of anti-civilisation and division.

What I saw at Taranaki Tu¯ Mai was an inter-generational, allembracing, Ma¯ ori-cultural, iwicentric event where our love and pride for our iwi was on display.

That is an important aspect of Ma¯ oritanga, but at the end of the day it was about participation.

At least I can say I contributed and that I left my blood on the tennis court (when I tripped over my feet), that I left my oratory on the debating stage (when I tripped over my tongue), and that I stood with my cousins on the kapahaka stage (where fortunately I didn’t trip over anything).

During the kapahaka brackets, all the iwi performed the ngeri (free form haka) called ‘‘Te¯ ra¯ te wa¯ ’’ recounting the deeds of Titokowaru.

As I declared in my last column, Titokowaru never lost mana in the eyes of the hapu¯ and iwi of Taranaki.

Moreover, Titokowaru would have been proud of how his iwi Nga¯ Ruahine hosted the Taranaki Tu¯ Mai festival because the greatest mana acquired by an iwi isn’t winning battles; it is not victory on the sports field or the triumph of the stage.

True mana is achieved by how an iwi manaaki (look after) people.