E ngā mātoru nau mai, whakatau mai rā. He mihi māhana, he mihi māhorahora tēnei nō te whānau ō ‘Taumata Rau.’
Nau mai, haere mai I runga I te taurā nui o Awatea.
Mālo e lelei, fakafeiloaki, kia orana, ni sa bula, fakaalofa lahi atu, tālofa lava. Fa’afetai i le Atua i le ola ma le mālosi. Mālo le soifua maua. Mālo le onosa’i a’o tātou folau ai i galuega ma a’oa’oga i lēnei tausaga. Usi lau maimoa ma lau faitau i tusitusiga a tama ma tama’ita’i Māori ma Pasefika i totonu o le Iunivesite o Aukilani e ala atu lea i le lomiga o le Taumata Rau.
To our readers; this is an acknowledgment of appreciation and warmth as you read the work from our whānau here at Taumata Rau.
Welcome on the broad back of daylight!
Just like how our tūpuna stopped the sun and fished up the land, we as indigineous people have always had superpowers. We see our writers as the superheroes of tomorrow and as champions of change. Here in this whakatauki daylight stands for peace, happiness, wellbeing and openness. An openness that we as editors have kept pushing and urging within our writing. An openness to discuss ngā take honu, the deep stuff, ngā take rama, the fun stuff and ngā take tautohetohe, the contentious stuff. In a culmination of love, sweat and tears our village of writers, illustrators and supporters have come together to celebrate all that is indigenous!
What a year it has been!
2021 has been a year of many firsts. From the creation of a Te Ao Māori editor to now the very first special student magazine issue at the University of Auckland written and created solely by Māori and Pasifika tauira. This has been a long time coming.
However, the timing for this special issue could not have come at a better time. Earlier this year, we partnered with Stuff Media as part of an initiative to support and bring up more young Māori writers. Last month, we also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Polynesian Panthers at the University of Auckland Fale. With this, the Government will soon be issuing an official apology for the Dawn Raids in August. The Panthers, a television show depicting the Polynesian Panthers is also soon to be released shedding light on a dark part of New Zealand’s history.
The year has been a time of prosperity, growth and cultivation for our Māori and Pasifika families. Watching our communities grow in pride, mindset and support has been humbling.
From strangers to now whānau. 20 years ago, a magazine issue like this would have been something of a myth. It is with confidence we can attribute our efforts to the giants, whose shoulders we stand on: young visionaries like Ngā Tamatoa, Polynesian Panthers, and other prominent leaders and individuals who fought for the voices of Māori and Pasifika to be heard.
We are excited to be part of the next generation of fighters, activists and writers. Working alongside future leaders has been awe inspiring and empowering. We see where the future is heading and we’re excited. The time spent together has only amplified the saying, “My culture is my superpower.”
We hope this issue will be the first of many.
Just as we started in the language of our atua, we must also sign off in the tongue of our ancestors.
He hono tangata e kore e motu; ka pā he taura waka e motu.
Unlike a canoe rope, a human bond cannot be severed.
Soifua ma ia manuia,
Lots of love,
Aria Ite and Mairātea Mohi <3