He kākano ahau, E kore au e ngaro, I ruia mai ahau i Rangiātea

Imagine getting to see the face of one of the very first women to live in Te Waipounamu! That’s what Matua Mac’s reo class got to do this week. 

We highly recommend this series: 

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/origins

In Whaea Joe’s classes, ākonga have been learning and talking about this well known proverb, or whakataukī:

“He kākano ahau, E kore au e ngaro, I ruia mai ahau i Rangiātea”

I am a seed, I shall never be lost, I was sown in Rangiātea.

It reminds us of the origins of the first people who settled here, and our connection to the Pacific.

In Hinemoa Elder’s book Aroha, she writes about this proverb, which is one of her favourites. She reminds us that we all struggle with the winds of change that blow us about, but eventually we will find our place to settle and grow, just as our ancestors navigated the stormy ocean to find a peaceful place of their own.

If the words sound familiar, maybe you heard them here:

Stan Walker - He Kakano Ahau - Impossible Live

Kia mārire tō wā whakatā - have a calm and peaceful weekend,

Nā māua ko Lily Welsh, Manu Kura Māori, ko Whaea Joe, Kaiarataki Ākonga Māori