I am enrolled in Waiata Te Tīmatange, which is a Māori song and performing arts class. It is by far my favorite class and teaches me so much about the culture and the language. Each waiata (song) we are taught reveals a new understanding of the Māori worldview and their customs. We recently learned a waiata tangi, a song of mourning. Next, we are learning a waiata aroha, a welcoming song. We are learning a total of five Māori songs and dances to perform in our end-of-semester concert. Pre-colonization, the Māori language was strictly oral; nothing was written down. All of their genealogy and creation stories were passed down through songs and dances. This practice is utilized in our class. We learn the songs in a dark room where the instructor repeats the lines over and over again. We are never handed the words in writing. I actually learn the words and their meaning quicker this way and I think it will last longer in my long-term memory. I look forward to all of the waiata and haka performances we will learn.
Here are some words in te reo I have learned:
aroha – love, compassion
whakapapa – layers of geneology
whānau – family
manaakitanga – kindess, generosity
In addition to school, I am exploring more and more of Dunedin. The weather is a lot like Oregon, sometimes it’s sunny, and then sometimes rainy and cold. We are going into autumn and the leaves are slightly changing. The other day I went to see the Pukekura Blue Penguins. They are the smallest penguins in the world. At dusk, these penguins make their way onto land to rest for the night. At the top of the Dunedin peninsula, these penguins waddled home. They are in their molting their feathers and replacing them with new ones.
Best,
Kahiau Bonacorsi