Napier, New Zealand

te tohu o te tangata

“The mark of the man"

Today we have stopped in Napier, New Zealand. Like most ports in New Zealand it primarily is used for export of Kiwi and Timber. Logging is a one of the primary exports as the trees grow fast on this land. It takes about 25 years between planting and harvesting timber so it is carefully managed and has become a very sustainable product. Like many things in New Zealand and its ancient people, there is a oneness with mother earth. There is a genuine reverance for that which the earth provides and that which mankind needs and a respect for the symbiotic relationship.

Today’s tour is of Arch of the Ancestors, a Maori experience. We arrive about noon to the port and again all meet in the Vista showroom for the announcement our excursion is ready for loading. Today all 9 of us are booked on the same excursion with Jeff and Babs being the late arriving stragglers. But we all make it on the same bus this time and our tour guide is a lovey woman named Christine. She is of Maori decent and shares many personal stories of growing up as we travel the countryside for about an hour till we get to the protected land where the Waimarama Maori are restoring an ancient village.

Christine teaches us a song which is used in the greeting ceremony as their warrior confronts our chief (not Joe this time), once they know we come in peace, the warrior signals the tribe and the call and response to welcome us in done in the form of a song.

No nga Tipuna (n-or n-ah tee poona) - From our ancestors

Kia Ora Kia Ora (key-ah or-ah, key-ah ora) - Be Well - Be Well

We are treated to a performance by the tribe and then broken into four groups to tour four demonstration sessions on the ways of the ancestors. Music, Fishing (eels), Tattoo, and Fighting. The Maori used sea shells, woooden and stone flutes, and wood blocks. In each group they talked of the fact that they come from mother earth and they needed to protect her. For mother earth provides all the signs and fruits to tell you what is needed. The dances and the songs are all about teaching the stories of life and survival from the ancestors to the new generation. Theirs is not a written language.

In order to get tattoo’d it requires the approval of the village council, extreme bravery, and a story that describes who you and your people are. On the left side of the face, it is reflective of your mothers heritage, about kindness and peace. On the right side it is your fathers side and reflective of war and battles. The women are tattoo’d only on their chin. Their tattoo’s are traditionally carved by bone and hammer into their skin. once opened as a wound, the ink from certain tpes of berries is rubbed in. When it heals it is a tattoo of three deminsions as it is both scars and inked design.

Children are inked in a temporary way as they have not yet had achievemnet to be worthy of a tattoo.

Our last stop on the rotation was with Tyler who taught the basic moves of using their wooden club/blade for both hunting and war parties. It is a skilled weapon as he deomstrated against Art and then taught Babs the 5 basic moves.

Lastly Tyler taught a game of coordination and Joan and Fran Volunteered. I was surprised when neither were eleminated in the first two rounds. One has to pass sticks to each other in a specific manner using both hands.

Time to leave this wonderful place and this terrific family who shared the ways of their ancestors with us. James Cameron filmed his movie Avatar in New Zealand and you can see many parralels in the native Navi from his film to the way of life of the ancient Maori.

Now back to the ship to live in total decadence.