Heritage Talk - Ko Tōku Hau Kainga: My Home Space

Drawing of a pa fortress at Parihaka, Whangārei in pre-European times.

| Talk dates: 27 September 2019 and 25 September 2020.

Taipari Munro, well-respected kaumatua and educator, talked about the Māori history of Whangārei and its districts; the local landscape, Māori communities and their locations.

Image is a drawing of the pa fortress at Parihaka, Whangārei.

Watch the talk on YouTube

Ko Toku Hau Kainga - My Home Space by Taipari Munro on YouTube

Picture of kaumatua Taipari Munro.

Taipari Munro

Te Uriroroi • Te Parawhau • Ngati Wai • Ngati Te Tawera • Te Waiariki • Ngati Pukenga-ki-Te Tai Tokerau

"Ko Manaia te maunga
My ancestral mountain is Manaia
Ko Whangarei Terenga Paraoa te moana
My great water-way is Whangarei Terenga Paraoa
Ko Kaka Porowini te Whare Tupuna
My ancestral house is Kaka Porowini
Ko Tahuhunuiarngi toku tupuna
My ancestor is Tahuhunuiarangi
Ko Te Uriroroi, Te Parawhau, Te Waiariki, Ngati Wai, Ngati Te Tawera, Ngati Pukenga-ki-Te TaiTokerau oku hapu.
My tribes are Te Uriroroi, Te Parawhau, Te Waiariki, Ngati Wai, Ngati Te Tawera, Ngati Pukenga-ki-Te TaiTokerau oku hapu."

E mihi ana ki te whenua, e tangi ana ki te tangata. Ko ratou te hunga mate ki a ratou, ko tatou te hunga ora ki a tatou. Kati ra tenei mihi. Kia ora mai tatou katoa.

Above I have written my identification and my greetings to you all, and as is proper in tradition, I pay my respects to those who have passed on.

Born and raised in the Whangārei district, Taipari grew up in an environment rich in Māori tikanga, folk-lore, genealogy and history. Te Reo Māori was his first language and it wasn’t until he started school that he experienced a non-Māori world. The love of learning instilled in him from a young age led to him to train as a teacher and go on to work in a wide variety of educational institutions; schools, polytechnics, universities, Whare Wananga and Private Maori Training establishments. This education laid his foundation to be eloquent in both worlds as an orator.

Taipari is often a lead kaumatua for Māori advice in Whangārei for many events that require his expertise. His knowledge of local Māori history and protocol is much sought after. In fact, he collaborated with local historian Mim Ringer to write the heritage stories of Whangārei along the walkway at the Town Basin and later on for Mander Park.

These days, as well as participating in numerous working groups and events around Whangārei and beyond.

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