Commentary

The removal of a Māori child in May 2019 led to widespread protest and the launch of four inquiries into the Ministry for Children, plus an urgent inquiry through the Waitangi Tribunal. Tamariki Māori are over-represented in the child welfare system, but the issues are not just about the system itself. The legacy of colonisation continues to have an impact, not just on individual whānau, but also on the loss of tikanga in relation to whānau. It is the tikanga of whānau that many protesters seek to protect.

How can waiata declare and perpetuate one’s belonging to place, to tūrangawaewae? Waiata are commonly performed at pōwhiri, following, and, in support of whaikōrero. Within this context, place is central to waiata. Its purpose is to complement the whaikōrero, ultimately expressing identity, broaching responsibility for, and the significance of place. Place in the form of tūrangawaewae, a place to stand, a purview of the use of language through waiata, contextualizes cultural identity through song.

In most areas, whaikōrero in pōwhiri has survived the test of time sheltered by the confines of marae, but the performance aspect of this art form has changed significantly. The impacts of Christianity, the influence of European culture and the movement of pōwhiri from outdoors to indoors have created a more subdued speaker, free of weaponry and limited body movement. In recent years there has been a renaissance among particular groups to revive past ways of performance.

Whakarāpopototanga: Ahakoa ōna painga anō, ko tetahi hangarau i pā kino nei ki te iwi Māori, ko te reo irirangi kawe reo Pākehā. Neke atu i te rau tau ia e whakapāho mai ana i te reo Pākehā ki ngā hapori o Aotearoa. Nā wai rā, ka noho tangata whenua te reo Pākehā nei ki te iwi Māori, ā, ka noho manuhiri kē, ko tōna ake reo Māori. Heoi anō , kua kite noa te Māori, ka whai oranga tōna reo, menā he hangarau pēnei anō kai ōna ringaringa hai kawe ake i tōna reo Māori ki ōna iwi katoa.