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As far as is known, this haka was composed by Waimarama Puhara, a highly respected chief of the central Hawkes Bay area. Waimarama was born at Paki Paki in about 1875, the son of Urupene Puhara and Marata Herea, and he married Ngahiti Rautu in about 1900.
Apparently he composed the haka in about 1914 as a message to his son Moana, who had been born in about 1899 and had been attending St Patrick's College, Silverstream. At the time Waimarama could see his son was having difficulties - something like a chip on his shoulder or some other intangible problem.
Moana married Ngawini Cowan (Kawana) at Gladstone, near Masterton in January 1922. But tragically, he died only five months later.
Young people are taught this haka as it contains an appropriate message for many adolescent males, particularly at that point in their lives where they are making the difficult transition into adulthood. The message of this haka is of challenge, struggle, perseverance and achievement. It is often used at events such as 21st birthdays and graduations. It is also used at tangi, to pay homage and respect to those who have guided young people through difficult times.
My thanks to Trevor Simpson of Ashburton for the corrections and extra information about this haka.
Waikato University's Tautoko files contains a text of Tika Tonu to which the Tainui chant E Ko Te Tui has been appended, PDF. MIRROR. This has caused some confusion.
This is not a longer version of Tika Tonu. The chants two distinct entities. The Maori queen took office in 1966, the Maori land rights march led by Dame Whina Cooper was in 1975, and the Mana Motuhake political party was formed in 1979, so this latter chant probably dates from the 1970s.
He aha rā? He aha rā? He mahi mo runga i te marae, e tū nei |
. . . | What is this? What is this? It is a task for the paepae,5 to take a stand on. | |
| E ko te tui: e ko te tui. | The tui sings: the tui sings.6 | ||
| E
ko te hono ki te kotahitanga ki te Kuini Māori e tū nei! E tū nei i runga i te mana Māori motuhake e tū nei! | Likewise,
the people assembled here sing of their unity with the Maori Queen standing here! They stand here to raise the status of Maori self-determination. | ||
| Ana!
Whiti!, whiti! Whiti ki te tika Whiti ki te ora | Yes!
A new dawn! A change for the better! A change to the way things are done! A new dawn for our way of life! | ||
| Whiti
ki te rangimārie I titia iho Au! Au! Aue hā! | Change
that will bring about harmony!7
Set in place from above. Oh! Oh!! Indeed! Yes! | ||
5. A task for the paepae... This is a contentious issue to be discussed frankly out in the open, in front of everyone.
6. The tui sings... We are following the example of the tui bird here today. The tui sings at dawn, heralding a new day.
7. Changes that will bring about harmony... The large-scale theft of Maori land by British colonists had produced much racial conflict.