Ka hao te Rakatahi: Pūrakau as out political navigators

Ka hao te Rakatahi: Pūrakau as our political navigators 

Hazel Te Koeti (Kāti Māhaki) is a proud born and bred Kaiapoi girl.                                                                                                                                                                                                                She is the kaitiaki of her whānau whakapapa, being the first in three generations to reconnect with her Kāi Tahutaka. Hazel has a passion for sharing the stories of mana wāhine, this currently being the topic of her Master’s thesis at Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha. Hazel has been working in the Ngāi Tahu Whakapapa team since 2024, growing her love for serving our Kāi Tahu whānau.

Whether it’s voting in your rūnaka elections, your local electorate or for your favourite celebrity to make it to next week’s episode of ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ we are often
asked to make a choice. These choices generally reflect our morals, values and future goals, and can represent how we perceive ourselves. This November, we will
be asked to make a choice on which political party we want to see lead Aotearoa. After three years of what can only be described as one of the most controversial governments in the history of Aotearoa, the upcoming general election casts a cloud of gloom over us all. For Māori, this cloud is particularly dark. Since the late 1700s our rights have been continuously under attack, and under the current coalition government, these attacks have only become more visible and vicious. In the face of uncertainty about what lies ahead, we must draw strength from our tīpuna to understand how we can actively exercise our own agency.

Our atua pūrākau hold infinite gems of ancestral mātauraka gifted down, through generations, for us to utilise. A great example lies within the pan-Māori pūrākau of the separation of Rakinui and Papatūānuku. This pūrākau tells the story of a band of brothers who come together to separate their mother and father so that they can walk in te ao marama and provide their offspring with a chance to thrive. It speaks of the atua coming together to kōrero over how they can achieve their shared goal. Tūmataueka suggests killing Raki and Papa. However, the other atua agree that death is not needed. Tānemahuta suggests separating Raki and Papa so that the others can bask in the warmth of the light between them. Over eons of heated kōrero, the atua agree that the separation must be done, all except Tāwhirimatea, who remained loyal to Rakinui.

One by one, atua such as Rokomātāne, akaroa, and Haumia-tiketike attempted to separate Raki and Papa but alas, they failed. Tānemahuta was up next, planting his hands on Papa and thrusting his legs against Raki, he successfully began to separate his parents. However, his strength was fading; to complete this great task he sought the
guidance of his tuakana Pāia who had the mātauraka and karakia, and knew the kawa needed to champion this task. Together, the two were able to place four toko that kept
Rakinui in the heavens and Papatūānukudown on earth. The atua rejoiced at their success and lived in the light with their mother, whilst Tāwhirimatea remained with his father in all his anger.

The myriad of perspectives in this pūrākau reflect the competing personalities and positions that characterise our current government. Although it seems simple to align Tūmataueka with the coalition government, especially in his habits of extremity, I think he is misunderstood. Tūmataueka to me represents the inherited frustration that arises from shared trauma and the continual betrayal by a government meant to act for our benefit. In his frustration, he sees there is no change happening and feels helpless; his judgment is clouded by rage, and he sees his only viable path forward is to burn the world down with him — a feeling that many of us can relate to.

Then there is Tāwhirimatea; Tāwhiri disagrees with his brothers as he remains loyal to Rakinui. Tāwhiri teaches us a valuable lesson by disagreeing with his brothers; he stays true to himself and his beliefs even when his entire whānau thinks differently. As a result, he isolates himself from his whānau and although he is filled with rage, chooses to protect his peace. Many of us may relate to Tāwhiri, particularly those of us raised in a whānau that consistently supports a particular party whose values we do not share. Or, maybe because we feel mamae if we don’t vote for a Māori candidate. Tāwhiri shows us it’s okay to go against the flow; our beliefs are personal to each of us. They may be
reflective of our whānau or they may not be, but either way, they are ultimately ours to make.

Although we may be familiar with the separation of Rakinui and Papatūānuku , it is important not to overlook the lessons we can learn from it. This pūrākau displays
the first democratic vote. All our atua came together to discuss the future they wanted; they argued, found common ground, and eventually voted on what action they
thought should be taken. We see different methods and strategies taken to achieve this goal but ultimately, it was only achieved once the brothers came together and Tāne
leaned on the mātauraka of his tuakana. It shows us the power of using our voice and our vote. The atua achieved their goal when they exercised their rakatirataka, and
in doing so, created the future they wanted for their offspring – the first example of mō tātou, ā, mō kā uri ā muri ake nei.