Aria

By Jessica Hinerangi

Where is my tongue?On display, a trophy of war.Where is my tikanga?Kept in the basement.Where is my mana?Locked in the museum.And where are my whanau?Scattered like dandelion seeds,from the grating city,to the harnessed horizon.Drawing moko kauae on Barbies. Reading Ranginui Walker in rahui. Spitting on the statue of Captain Cook. Aria is a first collection of poems by Jessica Hinerangi in which the author reconnects with her tupuna and with te ao Maori.He kakano ahau i ruia mai i Rangiateaa, ka tipu tonu.Tihei, mauri ora!

• Language: English
• Publisher: Independent Publishers Group
• Release date: Jul 13, 2023
• ISBN: 9781776711062

Book preview

Front Cover of ĀriaHalf Title of ĀriaBook Title of Āria

First published 2023

Auckland University Press

University of Auckland

Private Bag 92019

Auckland 1142

New Zealand

www.aucklanduniversitypress.co.nz

© Jessica Hinerangi, 2023

ISBN 9781776711062

Published with the assistance of Creative New Zealand

A catalogue record for this book is available from the National Library of New Zealand

This book is copyright. Apart from fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without prior permission of the publisher. The moral rights of the author have been asserted.

Design by Duncan Munro

Cover and internal artwork by Jessica Hinerangi, 2023

Dedicated to any displaced or whakamā mokopuna trying to reconnect with who they are. Your tūpuna are right beside you.

Hā

Kia pupuri te manawa

o ōku tūpuna.

Kia whakamana i taku ārero,

mā te reo taketake i tukua mai ai e rātou.

Kia mau, kia ita,

ki ngā taonga tuku iho ā rātou mā.

Ahakoa ngā piki me ngā heke,

ka whakatutuki i tā ōku tūpuna

i wawata ake ai.

He kākano ahau i ruia mai i Rangiātea

ā, ka tipu tonu.

Tihei, mauri ora!

Breathe in, breathe out.

I shall carry the strength

of my ancestors before me.

And my tongue shall be strengthened by the ancient reo

I have inherited because of them.

I shall hold on tightly,

to the many sacred gifts passed down by them.

And despite the rises and falls of hardship,

I shall fulfil the dreams my ancestors have for me.

Because I am a seed that was planted in Rangiātea,

my growth is inevitable.

Tihei, mauri ora!

Contents

1. Pōtangotango

Dear Tūpuna 1

Bones

Barbie girl

Horse girls

Siren song

The Māori portraits

Tangi hotuhotu

Study notes 1

A giant fish, a safe space, an ancient struggle

Slumber party

Utu

2. Ahi Kā

Spitting on the statue of Captain Cook

The bay is still and the birds are not singing

Reading Ranginui Walker in rāhui

Māori spy

Ahi kā

Kōmingo

There is a taniwha in my heart and a manaia on my head

Land Back.

Pretty pūngāwerewere

Goddess of death

Dear Tūpuna 2

Summertime surgery

Wewete

Ināianei

3. Manawanui

Orokohanga

Study notes 2

I whakapapa, therefore I am

Koro

Eel dreams

Whānau mārama

Put your head under

Kōkōwai

Late night marae

Dear Tūpuna 3

Raranga

Kupu Māori

He Mihi

1. Pōtangotango

Dear Tūpuna 1

I am well. Eating lots of pasta and vegetables, going for walks in the ngahere, socialising with other artists, swimming in emerald lakes, visiting whānau.

I hope you’re ok with the mahi I’m doing. I assume you’d let me know if you weren’t. Every day I’m trying to pry open my superlunary skull to make way for your messages and magnetic vibrations. Like a dam bursting under pressure, or the tooth snapping away from my koro’s jaw when he tried to eat a brandysnap at Christmas, my little human head cracks from the weight of your tohu and tāwara. I am afraid of