THE STONE OF GODS Karakia A Blessing Kia

THE STONE OF GODS

Karakia A Blessing Kia hora te marino, Kia whakapapa pounamu te moana, Kia tere te karohi. May the seas be calm, May the shimmer of summer Glisten like the greenstone, Dance across thy pathway. Ma Io koutou e manaaki, e tiaki, i nga wa katoa. May your God bless you and protect you for all time.

What is Pounamu and where is it found? - Pounamu is a hard and very valuable stone. - Other names for Pounamu are Greenstone and Jade. - It is only found in the South Island. - Usually found in boulders, often located near and in rivers.

Where Pounamu is found

New Zealand Gold Māori valued pounamu in the same way that Europeans valued Gold Around the 1870’s Te Otatu made the comment “Let the Gold be worked by the white men. It was not a thing known to my ancestors. My only treasure is the pounamu. ”

Different varieties of Pounamu kawa tangiwai īnanga kahurangi

Traditional Pounamu uses Pounamu has been around for generations, and has many different uses and values. The weapon mere made from pounamu were using for fighting, they were also carried by chiefs to show high status. Pounamu is tapu and is of great status, due to this weapons and heirlooms made of pounamu, were exchanged as a symbol of peace. Right: This is a chief holding a mere weapon made from pounamu. The mere is a short bladed weapon in the shape of a tear drop. It was used when fighting to strike in the body or head. It is usually made from nephrite.

Traditional pounamu uses In traditional Maori life pounamu had so many different uses. These included weapons, tools, jewelry and adornments.

Pūrākau A pūrākau is a story from a te ao Māori point of view set in the realms of God which is often linked to creation. The Creation of Pounamu There was once a Taniwha called Poutini saw a beautiful woman named Waitaki in the water bathing. Hypnotised by her beauty Poutini snatched her up and swam away. When Waitaki’s husband (Tama-āhua) discovered she was missing he chased Poutini up to the North Island then down to the south Island, where finally he found Poutini at the Arahura river.

Pūrākau continued. . Poutini could see that he was going to be captured, yet he could not and would not give up Waitaki. To avoid this Poutini turned Waitaki into his own essence. Greenstone. Poutini laid her down in the riverbed in a nearby stream. Tama-āhua found his wife lying in the riverbed, turned into īnanga (one of the 4 types of pounamu). He grieved for her then returned home. Poutini who had craftily snuck past Tama-āhua continued down the river to the coast. Since then he has swum the west coast acting as a guardian spirit of the land of the pounamu.

Whakatauākī are proverbs or sayings that are passed on and said through generations, there will be proverbs or sayings that are common amongst your friends or family. E. g the man who moves a mountain starts by carrying away small stones. This means big things are possible but you cannot do it all at once. Whakataukī (proverbs) play a large role within Maori culture. Ahakoa he iti he pounamu Although it is small, it is greenstone This Maori proverb links in when someone is giving a small gift. Although the gift may be small it is thoughtful and precious like pounamu.

Whakapapa is a Maori world view where all things are linked to one another. People are linked to people, to the natural earth and to places. Ranginui (sky father) + Paptūānuku (earth mother) Tawhirimātea (god of wind) Tāne (god of forest) Tangaroa (Their children) Rongo Haumia (god of sea) (god of cultivated food) uncultivated food) Te Anu-matao (pounamu’s mother) Te Pounemu (pounamu)

Kitiakitanga means guardianship or looking after something and protecting it. The concept of Kitiakitanga is all about protecting natural resources such as pounamu and using it in a way that is sustainable for future generations.

Tikanga It is often said that there were magical properties around greenstone, it is said that a piece loses its shine when taken from its rightful owner when returned will shine brightly again. Generally taken to mean "the Māori way of doing things", it is derived from the Māori word tika meaning 'right' or 'correct'. Tikanga relates to the customs and protocols. The wearing of pounamu such as the tiki was very common by the Maori. Pounamu can be parted with quite freely. However if a piece was worn by someone who has passed away this piece is now considered oha (heirloom). These pieces would not be exchanged.

Curriculum Learning areas pounamu can link to. - Social science (main learning area) Two minor learning areas - Drama - English

Social Sciences (Major learning area) Place and environment strand - “Students learn about how people perceive, represent, interpret, and interact with places and environments. They come to understand the relationships that exist between people and the environment” (Ministry of Education p. 30). - I would make a social studies unit with a focus on one key Maori concept to do with pounamu. The main Maori concept I would link into this unit would be Kitiakitanga. Working with pounamu and the concept of Kitiakitanga a unit could be shaped around how different groups and iwis interact with the environment and the different ways and plans in place in making sure pounamu is used in a sustainable way.

Drama (Minor learning area) - “Drama expresses human experience through a focus on role, action, and tension played out in time and space” (Ministry of Education p. 20). - Drama is another curriculum area the topic of pounamu could link to. This would be great for all aged children to explore the creation of pounamu. A great unit focus linked to drama would be pūrākau. Throughout this unit children could explore and learn the different pūrākau through different drama processes.

English (Minor learning area) - “The study of New Zealand world literature contributes to students’ developing sense of identity, their awareness of New Zealand’s bicultural heritage and their understanding of the world” (Ministry of Education, 2007, p. 18). - English is another great curriculum area that pounamu can link to. Children can write research and write reports on what pounamu is and where it is found plus many other aspects about pounamu. As a unit focus for English I would link in the Maori concept of whakataukī. Throughout this unit children would have the opportunity to look at whakataukī about pounamu and unpack the importance of these not only to them but especially to Maori.

Community links These 2 links are things/people in the community that could further developing children’s understanding around pounamu and different Maori concepts. - Invite a guest speaker that works for the department of conservation (DOC) come in and share. - Take a class trip to Toitū Otago settlers museum and learn about their own whakapapa and participate in the origins and ancestry program run by the museum. At the museum there is also a huge slab of pounamu. This would be great for children to be able to touch and experience first hand what it looks and feels like.

I. C. T Links - Use the internet to research pounamu in more detail. A research project could also be carried out from information found on the internet. - Watch informative videos about the processes pounamu go through, from the river bed to the shop front and about the importance of pounamu to Maori.

Glossary - Pounamu – Greenstone/Jade - Taniwha – A water monster of Maori legend - Mere – A short bladed weapon - Toki - A tool similar to an axe - Tapu – Sacred - Taonga – Treasure - Oha - Heirloom