Title: Te Oriori a Tuteremoana
1Te Oriori a Tuteremoana
Traditional Maori Philosophy
A Framework for Wellness to Compliment Social
Marketing?
? Nga kete ltd
2The content of this presentation is not to be
reproduced without the expressed written
permission of Nga Kete o te Matauranga Ltd.
3This framework for wellness arises out of the
context of a Maori World View
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4Oriori
Oriori are a form of poetic tradition where
compositions were written by Maori to mark
- Birth
- Personality, or
- Death of children
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5The Oriori for Tuteremoana
- This oriori forms the basis of a wellness
framework, with major philosophical, pedagogical
and practical implications for those working with
children, families, whanau, hapu, and iwi
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6The Oriori for Tuteremoana
- Eight-verse epic
- Used at the birth of children (Tohi)
- Had input from a variety of Tohunga from
Whanganui-a-Tara, Raukawa, Kahungunu and Ngati
Hauiti - Over 500 years old
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7The Oriori for Tuteremoana
- Begins with the birth of a child
- Takes the child on an inspirational journey to
greet his/her ancestors (terrestrial and
celestial) - Teaches the attributes and deeds of ancestors as
role models
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8Verse One
- Welcomes the tamaiti out of the cosy haven of the
mothers womb - Likens the child to the stars
- Instills in the childs mind the challenges of
life and the necessity to be steadfast in their
worldly pursuits
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9Verse One Products
- Ritual and the experience of birth
- Importance of relationships
- Whanaungatanga at the earliest stage
- Kinship terminology, obligations - awhi, tautoko,
kanohi kitea - Celebration of a new life
- Preparedness
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10Verse Two
- Presents tamaiti with grand ascent into the skies
to importune Io Matuakore of the Baskets of
Knowledge - Journey to upper skies fraught with challenges by
the whanau of Tawhirimatea - the winds, clouds,
storms - Childs resolve is tested in this journey
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11Verse Two Products
- Inspired learning (beginning in the home)
- Lifelong pursuit of learning
- Parental protection of, and respect for, tamaiti
- Affirmed celestial and terrestrial relationships
- Preparedness for lifes journey and ones future
challenges - Recognition of the value, and use, of karakia
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12Verse Three
- Challenges the tamaiti to partake of the more
earthly of pursuits ancient feuds on this earth
and in the underworld - Encourages the child in nurturing and protecting
Hine-ti-tama, Goddess of Souls
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13Verse Three Products
- Life skills
- Passion and discipline balanced against each
other - Preparedness for future challenges
- Biculturalism - two heads/two cultures better
than one
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14Verse Four
- Encourages the tamaiti to value both terrestrial
and celestial knowledge - Explains the aural nature of Maori culture
- Formally names the tamaiti
- Instills virtue of listening in the tamaiti
- 3 deities Rongomaitahanui, Rongo-maitaharangi,
Tupaiwhakarongowananga charged with nurturing
skill of listening - Rewards on Earth that await those who value such
a natural virtue is limitless
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15Verse Four Products
- Parents as role models
- Understanding the holistic nature of learning and
future potential from it - Understanding, and application of, the virtue of
listening - Kanohi kitea
- Understanding of rituals and their relationship
to terrestrial/celestial activities
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16Verse Five
- Inspires the tamaiti by relating the exploits of
Tane to IoMatuakore, the Supreme Intellect - Challenges the power of the mind and the
pre-eminence of knowledge - Gives an example of the myriads who embark on the
journey of life
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17Verse Five Products
- Sanctification of the pre-eminence of knowledge
- Understanding the power of the mind
- Enlightenment - An understanding of the balance
and harmony of our lives
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18Verse Six
- Encourages the tamaiti to
- Devote oneself to pursuing knowledge and
understanding - Value ancestral teachings
- Learn to discern right from wrong
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19Verse Six Products
- Lifelong pursuit of knowledge
- Strong sense of whanau connectedness
- Recognition that parental behaviour impacts on
future behaviour of siblings - Recognition of the role of women in the whanau
- Societal reality - all sorts
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20Verse Seven
- Tamaiti are reminded of their mountains, rivers,
seas, and lakes - These symbols of their identity are to be forever
valued as their ancestral inheritance - Tamaiti are also encouraged to recognise the
achievements of their tupuna as models for
inspiration and achievement
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21Verse Seven Products
- Strong sense of identity and connectedness
- Understanding relationships to mountains, rivers,
seas, lakes, as symbols of belonging - Belonging to the land
- Duty to care for the land (Kaitiaki)
- Personification with nature
- Understanding the role of ritual
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22Verse Eight
- Recounts the fabulous journeys of our ancestors
and reminds tamariki that they can achieve in
this world because our tupuna did - There is no more motivational precedent in our
culture than that of our ancestors
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23Verse Eight Products
- Inspiration from stories and feats of ancestors
- Whanau connectedness
- Respect for others/non-judgemental
- Grounding in oral traditions
- Acknowledgement and understanding of ritual
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24Nga Whakaaro
- Oriori provide an holistic approach to Maori
wellness from a traditional Maori world view - Oriori are aspirational rather than focused on
problems - We should be marketing the philosophies,
pedagogies and practices derived from oriori and
other traditional philosophies - But if we employ social marketing principles to
oriori we need to protect their mauri
(essence/integrity)
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25Nga Whakamarama
- Appendices
- Nga Moteatea part III 1970 by A T Ngata
- He Tohu Aroha
- Photos courtesy of Carters Observatory and Hubble
space station website www.hubble.org
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