Awa’s Story
We come from just one of the seeds that were grafted and scattered, trying to connect to roots that have been shattered.
by Hinemoa Jones
Dec 06, 2022
3 minutes
Photo by Fayette A. Reynolds, MS, via Flickr
“Awa’s Story” follows several generations of mothers to trace a family line interrupted by white man’s indoctrination. At the center of the narrative is Awa, a Māori child who signifies the rupture — the estrangement from tradition and mother tongue — in ancestral connection. Interspersed with Māori words, this musical, mournful piece plays with language and pivots to English translations halfway through: Awa becomes River when she meets a white man.
Written by Hinemoa Jones and published in Ora Nui 4: Māori Literary Journal, “Awa’s Story” is a dolorous
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