Maori Birth in Australia

I believe strongly that the way we are born into this world reflects the way in which we live in this world.  The effects that a gentle birth has on a mother, baby and family is ten fold and so beneficial in so many ways.  I also believe that instilling our cultural identity into our children is something that starts prior to birth and at the time of conception.  Our ancient Oriori (lullaby) have been handed down through generations and for significant reason.  Oriori told us of our whakapapa, our ancestors and the things that would make us what we will be in the future.  I believe that when a tohu (sign) arrived at the time of our conception, that it was a means to acknowledge our future.  From then we had our Oriori chanted to us while we are in the womb and continuously until our birth into Te Ao Turoa (the new world)  This is the first of many waananga that we will encounter in our lives and possibly one of the most important.  We arrive with a knowing of the world, much like that of my now 7 year old son.  After having mahi with Papa Hohepa, he arrived with his eyes wide open and with a knowing.  He had no care to cry, until he realised that he was no longer in the familiar surroundings of my womb and before long he opened his lungs, announcing to the world that he had arrived.  He preferred the closeness of my body to his and I embraced him with as much of myself as I could. 

My aim is to bring back our ancient teachings such as Oriori and haputanga (pregnancy) related ahuatanga (elements) tikanga (customs) and matauranga (knowledge) belonging to our ancestors.  Something only us as Maori people are entitled to and gifted with.  We owe it to our babies to know who they are and be grounded in all aspects of their identity, no matter where it is that they are born.  My path to becoming a Tapuhi (Birth Attendant) is fast approaching and I am sensing the yearning from my own to want this.  While becoming a Midwife would ultimately be preferred, I feel as a Birth Attendant you are better able to maintain and uphold more traditions without the scrutiny of a hierarchy in the business sense to censorship your mahi.  2012 is looking brighter for sure.

A Sunday unlike any other

I looked forward to my meeting up with my Romiromi family after last weekends Wānanga. I was ready and content with taking my first steps away from Wikitoria and with like minded women. I've never felt so much pull to be in the company of other Maori women, following bad experiences with Maori women since being in Sydney. I have trust issues following being witch hunted by people you think you can trust and feel safe with. How wrong was I to think this. I've never seen so much literal dishonesty in my own people, to the detriment of ones self esteem, Wairua and Mauri. I considered the option of suicide on more than one occasion, as I couldn't take the internal fighting and feeling incomplete in my own skin. I didn't know who I was anymore, I wasn't me and I didn't like it. My attempts to reach out to social services proved fruitless and felt downright discriminatory on so many levels. I was made to feel that my situation wasn't significant enough to warrant any referral support, as I am not a permanent resident or Australian citizen. Therefore I was expected to follow a costly Counselling session, which could have ultimately taken the food out of my daughters mouth. How did that happen? I asked Centrelink for a referral to a social worker, to be told they didn't have any. Are you serious? So how angry was I with the ongoing circle of despair that I was caught up in and tell me this doesn't effect a woman to such suicidal extremes. I had to heal myself and I can tell you this is not an easy task. Moving was a must, I felt weighed down and lacking in motivation. This recent move has been a learning one for all of us and instilling values back into our family, values I was brought up with and values my daughter needs to be part of. My inner creative has come home, where I've enjoyed fashion drawing and art work again.
Sunday saw me addressing so much anger issues on so many levels, through my whakapapa and those I've buried deep these last 4 years. Anger is stubborn and feeds off my feelings of all kinds that have no place in my body. It would take seconds for me to lose it literally and now having taken on and filled the void with love and light, I'm finally breathing fully for the first time in a long long time. I love my small family and my family I miss in New Zealand so much. Also it's the first time I've felt grounded and complete in my ability as a Maori women living in Sydney. I have so much gratitude for Pāpā and his knowledge, Wikitoria for the seed and Jacq and Berta for this feeling I have now a feeling of genuine rebirth. In the beginning there was nothing.

On a Journey with Papa

My youngest son was born in the early hours of the morning on 19 September 2004.  He was named by his Koro Sidney Maguire after his paternal tupuna Rereahu.  A significant name which comes up in both his Kai Tahu and Maniapoto lineage.  His second name Pikikotuku is from my mothers whakapapa and also has the meaning treasure, which in my mind holds double the significance.  At one week, we had the pleasure of hosting Papa at our whare in Te Awamutu.  It was significant to me to have Papa there and I was enriched with his knowledge concerning the placement of our whare (house) and what was happening around it.
We lived in a little reserve which was land to 21 other duplex style houses, with a security gate entrance, pool, gym etc.  We were situated at the top part which was more private than most of the duplexes on the land.  I gave our newborn to Papa who nestled into his arms and everyone that accompanied Papa gathered in the living room.  Before long Rereahu had fallen asleep in the comfort of Papa's arms and it wasn't too long after that Papa closed his eyes too.  Conversations still took place around Papa and the atmosphere was pretty jovial and humorous as always when many Maori gather.

An hour or so had passed and Papa woke, though Rereahu continued to sleep.  They had both been on a journey together to a big tree situated in the South Island.  It was a gathering of elders from the Kati Mamoe tribe, this was without knowing the whakapapa of our son in terms of his fathers lineage but, held so much significance considering the origins of his name.  The journey they both took together is something that I hold dear to my heart and hold dear to my son in so many ways.  It is a piece of Papa that has left an imprint on me and no doubt my son also, when he fully understands he is who he is for a reason.
Something else that was very interesting, was the vortex that was situated in our drive way.  The vortex was like a main highway to those on the other side travelling to where they needed to get to.  As Papa was speaking, he could see them walking past which for me sent some shivers up my spine.  This vortex was one of many in the area and fortunately for us, Papa closed it to prevent any further energy from finding it.  I know that my smidgen of an encounter can in no way surpass that of others and the knowledge that has been gained from his many wananga.  But for me, it's what affirms the mahi that I now do and from the place in which his teachings come from.  I have always been involved in some way with childbirth and for me I believe it is my calling.  I believe that what Papa says about the imprint of parents on a child when they are born is so powerful and so true to the way I feel.  I am greatful for the knowledge that I have been privy to thanks to Wikitoria carrying the seed to us here in Sydney.  I once again felt that my soul had come home to me and that I was ready to do what I was called to do.  Teenage pregnancy, Pregnancy and Fertility all play a roll in this journey and I intend on upholding this.  I am greatful to have the ancestors that I have, because they were and are strong people in so many ways.  Their DNA flows through my body and in my children's also, regardless of where they are on this earth.

Pāpā Hōhepa Delamere

I had the pleasure of meeting Pāpā thanks to my brother Ezard, back in 2004. I was hapū (pregnant) with my son at the time and it was a great opportunity for me to meet the man behind the wonderful. It was also the first time for me having a mirimiri during a pregnancy. Based at a clinic on the North Shore of Auckland, is where I met Pāpā and my first thought was 'Teddy Bear' I wanted to take him home.
I was amazed at how comfortable the setting was, even though there were others there also for varying treatments. I loved the moulded haputanga (pregnancy) cushions on the table which made the ordeal of being on my puku (stomach) such a relief. I remember relaxing into the mahi (work) and feeling nothing but calm. Pāpā explained to me the reasoning for treatments on hapu women postnatally and antenatally. It is common for a hapu gait or waddle to occur in the final trimester of pregnancy. Moving Pēpī to allow more room and to ease the pressure from the lower back and hips, was a total relief experienced by many. My hips had been pinned and screw plated when I was 12. A trauma that I took as something that happened and something I lived with. Pāpā worked on my hips to regenerate the cellular memory in them a bit at a time. He was also surprised that I was able to get hapu at all, due to the restriction on the hips and the way the pins, plates and screws had altered the way my hips formed after puberty. This is when he went on to tell me that, children chose their parents. This warmed my heart as I was told at 16 that I would never be able to have children. Pāpā's words rung true for me, because my children chose me. Despite the diagnoses of a doctor and despite the trauma my body had experienced at age 12. After my weekend hands on workshop, everything is touching the right points and becoming more apparent for me on this journey with my tāne. Clarity is the key here. Love you Pāpā.