Ka ora! Ka ora!
Ngati Paoa attacking, patu descending, blood, our dolphin's heart, aue . . .
"That bad dream is fading now. The food is already making its way from our bellies to our bloodstream, heavenly food cooked in an umu with stones heated for the first time in a sacred fire ignited by Te Umu-rangi. We feel the food's magic as our old tohunga-chief starts chanting that healing, reasuringly repetitive, old karakia "Ka kai ki te...Ka kai ki te...Ka kai ki te..." reminding us of our waka being hauled ashore in the peaceful Ahuriri estuary, first chewing at the sand, then biting into tree-fern rollers, munching a rotten trunk full of tasty huhu grubs, and finally resting peacefully on a luscious patch of newly sprouted fern tips.
"We are that waka, eating better and better food every day, gaining new strength, new confidence. Soon we will leave Kairakau beach and return to our homes on the Takapau plains, taking baskets of dried karengo and mÄtaitai that we'll add to our own food each day while reciting that same karakia, to ward off those witchcraft spells from Turanganui. We have been through dark times, but our tohunga with his hairy beard had brought back sunny days for us. Before we leave, we honour him with our ancient ngeri...
Ka ora, ka ora !
Tenei te tangata, Puhuruhuru,
Nana i tiki mai i whakawhiti te ra.
U pane, kau pane,
Whiti te ra !