Urupounamu hosts Ngairo Eruera, Justine Murray and Te Kehukehu Patara. Photo: RNZ/Justine Murray
The impact of colonisation in Aotearoa lead to the erosion of Māori language and culture, the confiscation of land and introduced european knowledge systems including religion and science.
What then does decolonisation mean? Is it about bringing change to your whanau, hapū, iwi and community, is it a state of mind or is it about disconnecting from the dominant culture?
The hosts of this weeks show agree that it is a balancing act.
"To put things simple, its just stripping yourself of that word colonisation and everything that it means...how do we decolonise ourselves? That's a very hard one especially in this society being governed by a dominant race" Te Kehukehu Patara says.
Ngairo Eruera acknowledges that there are some things in his life that he would not want to get rid off and to a large extent, decolonisation is about awareness.
"It is a bit of a balancing act with trying to be consistent with who I want to be as Māori with whakapapa (genealogy) Māori, and who I am also with whakapapa Pākeha I guess really the whole argument around colonisation is for me being able to every now and then, accept perspectives on what I'm thinking...the decisions I am making moving forward" he says.
Urupounamu is a kōrero session on kaupapa effecting Māori and focused on the tangata whenua experience in this forever changing modern world. RNZ Producer Justine Murray, Māori Language Kaiako Ngairo Eruera, and Moana Radio host Te Kehukehu Patara lay their whakaaro on the tēpu, challenge each other and themselves. Urupounamu will feature as a regular series on Te Ahi Kaa, it is recorded in the studio at Moana Radio station in Tauranga and is available as a podcast.
Te Kehukehu Patara Photo: RNZ/Justine Murray
Te Kehukehu Patara (Ngai te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui) is a host of the daily te reo Māori show Te Pae Moana on Moana Radio, a former crane operator at the Tauranga port for many years, he is a native speaker and has travelled the world with his superstar surfer grandson Kehu Butler. He enjoys spending time with his whanau, and still loves to surf.
Ngairo Eruera Photo: RNZ/Justine Murray
Ngairo Eruera (Ngāti Ranginui, Tuhoe, Ngāti Awa) is a Māori language kaiako and consultant at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Te Whare Wānanga o Waikato, he is a member of the Waikato based kapahaka group Te Iti Kahurangi and after spending 20+ years in the Waikato moved back home to live with his whānau in Katikati. He enjoys working around home and in the māra, researching tribal and local history and working within communities to enhance communal knowledge.
Justine Murray Photo: RNZ/Justine Murray
Justine Murray (Ngai te Rangi, Ngāti Ranginui) is the producer and presenter of Te Ahi Kaa the weekly kaupapa Māori programme at RNZ. Justine began her career in Iwi radio as a Journalist, announcer, copywriter and programme director, she is a writer, poet and is in her third year of studies at Te Whare Wānanga o Te Awanuiārangi in Whakatane. Justine enjoys spending time with whanau.
