Mā te kimi ka kite, Mā te kite ka mōhio, Mā te mōhio ka mārama
Seek and discover. Discover and know. Know and become enlightened.
Māori myths (pūrākau)
In Aotearoa, Te Iwi Māori (people) speak of their traditional stories explaining the origins of the world and cultural practices. Often they speak of their ancestors in their marae.
Our past Education has been enriched by the profound teachings of Māori myths (pūrākau). These stories, such as Maui and the Sun, Ranginui, the Sky Father, and Papatūānuku, the Earth Mother, are not just tales, but the very fabric of our cultural identity. They are the primal parents of the world, the Fish of Maui -Te ika a Māui: The creation of the North Island, Hinemoa and Tūtānekai, Paikea the Whale Rider, and many other Myths.
What about the stories of the te hunga hauā Māori (disabled Māori people)? Yes, there were several stories, for example, the blind god Tāwhirimātea; however, they were not widely taught in Primary Education until higher Education and universities. Who is Tāwhirimātea? In Māori legend, Tāwhirimātea is the god of weather, controlling winds, storms, thunder, and lightning.
“The way Māori view being disabled is tapu (sacred), and Matariki is a good example. Matariki is named after Tāwhirimātea, a blind god.”
https://www.acc.co.nz/newsroom/stories/finding-the-meaning-of-matariki
Let’s go back to the Te hunga turi Māori (Māori Deaf people). I sourced any video in NZSL Māori concepts of the Myths for everyone to learn in Education, at the libraries, online resources and in the communities. The resources I have found are waiata (songs) and fun, entertaining waiata that incorporate Te Reo Māori sign language concepts.
Regrettably, my search for YouTube videos about NZSL Te Reo sign language concepts in the myths has been in vain. This morning, I spoke to one of the iwi turi, and it became clear that there is currently no plan to create Māori myths in Te Reo sign language concepts. This underscores the urgent need to bring these stories to the communities, Education, and whanau (families) communities, and the only platform available for this is a Facebook Page.
Taangata/Iwi Turi needs to understand the myths of their generation as treasures, as depicted in murals on the marae walls and carvings, and traditions to pass on to the next generation over many years. Today, we have amazing technology, especially AI, that offers a beacon of hope. It allows tamariki turi Māori (Māori Deaf children) to utilise their skills and ensures that our myths are not only preserved but also made accessible to all.
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