A day or two has passed since the mighty All Blacks came through all manner of adversity to triumph at the World Cup. The final itself was a harrowing experience, and I count the team fortunate to hold out in the face of a spirited French performance. However, throughout the tournament I was struck by a unique sense of spirit which flowed around the team, in individuals, but more so collectively as a squad. At times, individuals came forward: Piri Weepu (the leader of the Haka, pictured) was virtually canonised for his exploits in the middle stages of the tournament. Plenty of stars and stalwarts of the game bowed out with injuries, giving other men opportunities to come forward. In the All Blacks, there is a sense of honour in wearing the shirt which taps into a sense of lineage and ancestry, uniting Maori and Pakeha (European New Zealanders) to a common cause, and giving a sense of accountability which transcends the individual. In the performance of the Haka, there is a celebration in facing challenges of life, but in doing so, knowing that we do not stand alone. We gather strength from others around us, from our tupuna (ancestors) and the earth beneath our feet. These men played for each other, and for others that came before them.
Inspired by the spirit of my homeland, I asked my friend Karl Burrows (co-founder of Manaia) for a karakia to share with participants of Mutsuko’s Seasonal Kitchen course at the final Saturday meal. A karakia is offered, like a prayer, to acknowledge and give thanks. It is a call, like the Haka, which rings out across the world, and across the ages:
Nau mai e nga hua e hora nei
I haere mai na koe
I whakatipu a Nuku
I whakatipu a Rangi
Tawhia ki a Rehua
Ki a tama I te ao marama
E rongo whakairia ake ki runga kia tina
Tiina!
Hui e!
Taiki e!
Welcome, acknowledging the food, produce here laid out before us today, given to us by you, sustained and nurtured by the earth, by the heavens, acknowledging Rehua (the star that guides us in harvest seasons), to humanity in the present time (Te Ao Marama, the world of light). Peace, let us suspend these ideas above us, so that we can all embrace them, together it is firm.
