The Rivermouth
Te Awa
Life begins from the sky on the mountain as rain speeds downward like branches of a tree through gullies and bush seeping into the cavernous land.
Reborn as our awa the waters bubble up from a vibrant clear puna at the base.
Flowing down past the Pa and family homes along the banks never stopping. The final destination her rivermouth pushing out to speak across the lake and island.
Rituals and customs
Family prayers and karakia to our chiefs and tupuna are transmitted from feet on her banks up to the air echoing across her waters.
Her spirt absolute to the people diving in to be rebaptised with natural water of a mother.
Common practises of karakia on the banks whilst children play and dive emphasises life around the awa had many dual purposes.
Spiritual mana
All things of nature have spiritual mana for Maori.
Carried in our waters are the nutrients used to heal our illnesses calm our minds and mark our celebrations.
We accept earth's importance to our way of life as powerful mana and use this to heal our own.
The awa herself is more than a spring to be taken from she is a lifeforce of her own making.
Watercress
The staples of our people spread in lush patterns across the banks.
From the puna down to the rivermouth lime green beds would spring up centre stream as the mirroring clear water swirls past to plant seeds along the banks.
Te hei mauri ora
Water is a conductor for old tribal business chiefs practised long before the new Pa was built.
Our water is older than our ways of life able to gather memory from the flow of its path like the breath of life.
Tribes around the motu gather and play on the awa banks. So full of life with sounds of human laughter and climbing feet echoing while the awa listens always.
The banks of a well
A smorgasbord of plentiful natural foods from the now extinct greyling fish to watercress koura and fern fronds the awa thrived in the past.
When colonisation moved in to drink from the stream awa food became scarce if at all found.
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