Te Oriori a Tuteremoana

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Te Oriori a Tuteremoana
Traditional Maori Philosophy
A Framework for Wellness to Compliment Social
Marketing?
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The content of this presentation is not to be
reproduced without the expressed written
permission of Nga Kete o te Matauranga Ltd.
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This framework for wellness arises out of the
context of a Maori World View
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Oriori
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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The 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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The 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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The 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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Verse 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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Verse 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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Verse 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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Verse 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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Verse 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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Verse 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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Verse 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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Verse 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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Verse 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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Verse 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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Verse 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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Verse 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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Verse 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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Verse 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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Verse 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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Verse 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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Nga 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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Nga 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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