22 November 2008
We’re all one … she brought us all together
21 August 2006
Comment by Qiane Corfield: Te Waha Nui Online
Mourning the Maori Queen
Many New Zealanders mourned the loss of the Maori Queen, Dame Te Arikinui Te Atairangikaahu.
After 40 years on the throne, she died at Turangawaewae Marae in Ngaruawahia on August 15, aged 75.
She was the longest serving monarch of the Kingitanga movement.
The week-long tangi was constantly in the New Zealand media with special live broadcasts of her burial on August 21.
This is the view of one student journalist from the Tainui iwi who attended the ceremony.
Ka Mate Ka Mate!
The passionate call of warriors clings to the wind, echoing from shore to shore.
We stand. Listening. Waiting.
Ka Ora Ka Ora!
Emerging from a bend in the desolate river, paddles ripple in unison.
We stand.Watching. Remembering.
Tenei te tangata, pu’ru huru na’a nei tiki mai whakawhiti te ra!
We stand. And a powerful silence falls.
Hupane, kaupane!
Hupane kaupane whiti te ra!
The wairua of my ancestors surrounds me. Tears form and soon vision is blurred.
Feelings of pride, sadness, love and loss speak from within.
As the waka approach the shoreline at the base of Taupiri Maunga , warriors await.
Clad in harakeke attire with ta moko etched onto their skin, Tawhirimatea’s breath surrounds them. But they don’t shiver. The blood of Ranginui and Papatuanuku run through their veins.
Her casket is carried on the shoulders of these men. They have transformed. No longer are they the husbands, sons or uncles they used to be. They have this undeniable mana, a gift they’ll never forget.
The crowd of thousands erupts in haka. I can feel my blood rise, my eyes open wide and my voice aching to get out.
There is an enormity of reverence.
From the young children whose innocence shines through their inquisitive eyes, to the kuia whose mana radiates from a wizened appearance.
We are all one.
We are not Tainui. We are not Maori. We are not white, black, rich or poor. Nor are we politician or public.
We are all here to remember the life of one of Aotearoa’s greatest leaders. If her life wasn’t enough of an example of the great influence she had, then look to today.
She did this. She has bought us all together.
The patches have been left behind, the mud has not been thrown, and the tears and heart felt cries have come from all.
She is the Maori Queen, Dame Te Arikinui Te Atairangihaahu, and this is her final voyage before taking her place among her ancestors.
Her body will lay on Taupiri maunga, her wairua will make the journey to Hawaiki, and her memory will live on forever through her people.
Haere atu ra Te Atairangikaahu e
haere atu ra
haere atu ra
haere atu ra.
Links:
- Maori Queen
- NZ mourns death of Maori Queen
- In pictures: Maori Queen’s burial
