Purutia tō mana

We are building up a kete of waiata that are specific to the whānau of Wakatū. One of these is ‘Purutia tō mana’, a ngeri composed by Jamie Tuuta.

Ngeri nā Jamie Tuuta, i whakahī mai i ngā kōrero i kohia i te wānanga mutunga o Rākau Pakiaka i tū i te marae o Onetāhua i te tau 2018.

E kore au e ngaro, ko te uri anō au o ngā hekenga, arā, whākina, whākina, whākina mai rā

He ao kei runga He au kei raro He tai timu He tai pari He tai tangata Ka tau e Ka tau e Ka tau ki te ihu o te waka a Māui e takoto nei E te iwi e purutia tō mana, kia mau, kia ita Aha ita, ita Mau tonu e!

A ngeri is a type of haka, usually performed without weapons and without set movements, with each individual able to place their own meaning or emphasis on the words. A ngeri can also be a call to action, an expression of solidarity, or be focused on a particular kaupapa.

‘Purutia tō mana’ came out of Te Rākau Pakiaka, the wānanga whakapapa that Wakatū has been facilitating since 2018. Jamie Tuuta was one of the presenters at the wānanga held at Onetāhua Marae, and as part of his session, he facilitated a discussion with the participants about how the whānau of Wakatū connect to this particular place, here in Te Tauihu. ‘Purutia tō mana’ distils the themes from that discussion. ‘Purutia tō mana’ is an exhortation, encouraging people to stand strong in their place and in themselves. The introductory lines “E kore au e ngaro, ko te uri anō au o ngā hekenga”, translated as “I am never lost, I am a descendent of the heke”, are inspired by the whakataukī “E kore au e ngaro, he kākano i ruia mai i rangiātea”.

The first half of the ngeri is symbolic of the journey of our tūpuna to Te Tauihu. There is reference to the movement of the clouds in the sky, the currents across the water, the movement of the sea, and the waves of migration that brought our ancestors to Te Tauihu. The second half reflects settlement, specifically in Te Tauihu. It calls on people to hold fast to their mana, hold fast to place, now and into the future.

It reflects a sense of place, the strength of our tūpuna, and the strength of our connection here.

Listen to a recording of Purutia tō mana at www.wakatu.org/ngeri

Mārahau sunrise. Photo: Naomi Āporo