He mihi aroha ki te Kīngi Tūheitia, moe atu, okioki atu. Ki te Kuīni Māori, Ngā wai hono i te pō, wahine tapairu, noho atu ki te ahurewa tapu o te Whare Āriki,
tū tonu, tū tonu, tū tonu.
This statue of Kupe, on the Wellington waterfront, shows the legendary explorer with his wife, Kuramārōtini/ Hine Te Apārangi, and his tohunga (priest), Pekahourangi. The country’s Māori name, Aotearoa, came when his wife saw a long white cloud and realised that land was nearby.
Movie Bio and show real
Piripi Waretini Waikato Maniapoto tribal confederation is a certified translator with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission.) whose translation work ranges from complex legal documentation and Pushkin’s poetry in iambic tetrameter to several movie scripts.
With over 40 years’ experience teaching te reo he is an English, Māori major with a Bachelor of Arts from Waikato University (1988). Piripi was the inaugural kaiwhakahaere Māori Advisor to Parliamentary Service and The Office of the Clerk.
He and his wife Angela own their own business teaching accelerated te reo specialising in the corporate marketplace. tukaha@live.com In addition they deliver to whānau Māori and marae (Forums) via the social enterprise arm of their business with an aim to “Repopulate the Paepae” “The traditional Speaker’s platform.
Piripi is a poet, writer and musical composer and amongst other things was the former Wellington Chair of Ngā Puna Waihanga (NZ Māori Artists and Writers) .
As an actor he knows through experience the importance of scripting and in particular, the importance of integrity when incorporating te reo (Māori language) and tikanga (Customs).
Piripi is a huge advocate for excellence in te reo mentoring industry icons,
Jennifer Te Ātāmira Ward-Lealand
Temuera Morrison amongst others.
The following is a traditional chant from his people of Ngāti Maniapoto that is one of preparation and clearing when entering any unknown territory or circumstance.
Karakia Tauparapara – Incantation of Transcending
Takahiahia tai ki ā e whare
E kuhu aue noko
Whai tāua, whai tāua
Tara tū, tara tū
Tara rongo tara whēwhē
Ū a kaha ki te Uenuku tāheke roa
Ko te ihu, ko te ai, whiria!
E kaha tōna tinitini
E kaha tōna manomano
Tōna mate e whawhai
E taka atu rā, e taka atu rā
E taka nei e
Ū ko te pō winiwini
Ū ko te pō wanowano
Ko te hau o tītī whakamaua kia tīnā!
Haumi e, hui e…taiki e!
Move in stealth towards the house
Upon this intrepid journey into the unknown
Let us move together, united
Valiant, vigilant
And alert
Adhering to the eternal progeny of Uenuku
Disseminate all contingencies
Allowing prolific growth
And propagation
As we journey onward into eternity
Ever forward
We come now to this place
Of eternal intensity
And other worldliness
Let the winds of unity combine us!
United as one, under a common cause!
A letter to 10-year-old me
Kia ora e tama, Piripi,
Now that’s the first thing. Right now, you’re ashamed of your Māori name, believe me, you’ll get over it. At 10 years old, life looks scary.....
Image of George Wikio, Te Whiu Anderson, Piripi Waretini, Lesly Wehi. Centennial Park School, Te Kuiti, Circa 1960’s.
Whānau/Family
Amaria and Martin, wedding, Koh Samui, Thailand
Tūāhu, Clare and mokos
Tūāhu Vincent - Wedding day
Taira’s Graduation
Moko’s Te Horoāwhina (God-daughter) and Ngāhuia
Hēmirau’s wedding
One Love Music Festival - with Papa in shot
‘One love’ Rock Festival: Taira’s 21st Celebration
Sinead Rīpeka Kawemārama
Parakore/Zero-Waste Promotion with my moko, Waiata. Directed & produced by my daughter Kahurangi.
Aroha is a Māori, written & performed by my daughter Kahurangi and directed by my daughter Amaria. A satire about Māori growing up in 'White Privilege.
Rikki Solomon - Māramataka (The Māori Calendar)
starts at 13min 56secs
Tiki O'Brien - A conversation about Te Kore
My Tainui/Waikato relative and talented multi-media artist, Tiki O’Brien used this prayer incantation to open our preliminary Paepae Tapu Trust Meeting. It is apt to open new pathways and ventures as with this current undertaking.
Tuia te kawa
Tairanga te kawa
Tuia te rangi e tū nei
Tuia te papa e takoto nei
Tuia rātou ki te wāhi ngaro
Ngā mātua me ngā tūpuna o te pō
Kia hoki wairua mai
Ki runga ki tō tātou Kīngi
Ki runga ki te whare Kāhui Āriki
Ki runga ki ngā marae
Puta noa ki te motu
Mauri ora!
Custom bound
Eternal
Spiritual
Physical
Connected
Conduit leagues
Ethereal heirlooms
Noble
Legacies
Inhabiting
Cohabiting
Dynamic!
My wife Angela and I manaed Rēhua marae in Christchurch during the 2011 earthquakes catering to 3-500 people daily.
This is the last day where we closed with an impromptu waiata.
Ngaruru ai te tai
Pōuriuri ai te pō
Mokemoke ana
Taku māwehetanga
Tū tonu Aoraki
Waitaki anō te wai
Hau mai Tahu Pōtiki
Hemo Te Raki te puhi
Ūpoko Āriki
Āhuru mana wāhine
Papa pounamu anō te tai
Ka rehu, ka rohirohi
Ka rehu, ka rohirohi
Te tapu, te wehi
Taku iti kahurangi
Au, ekea ngā tihi
Purea ngā hau a Tāwhiri
Au, ki te tuohu koe
Taukiri
Ngā ūaratanga
Te pono, te aroha
Te ture, kōtahitanga
Taitimu, taipari, tainui
Kurakura Kaitahu
Kāti Māmoe whānui
Waitaha hua māhaki
Kā hapū, kā iwi
A relentless crashing tide
endless nights
of solitude, isolation
and separation
Timeless, resolute Aorangi
The charismatic Waitaki
our renowned and eponymous ancestor Tahu Pōtiki
Hemo Te Raki, noble, profound
Such nobility
and feminine dignity
creates a waterway of greenstone
shimmering, ethereal
eternally candescent
sacred and revered
My beautiful treasure
ascend the highest peaks
cleansed by the winds of Tāwhiri
without reservation
but with humility
The values
of truth, love
law and unity
wax, wane and renew
Kurakura Kaitahu
Kāti Māmoe
Waitaha, prolific, gentle
affirm a unique confederation of Hapū and Iwi
He karakia nā Tūteremoana - Karakia Porotiti
Rikki Solomon (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa.)
Nā rā, i te pō rūnanga o tā mātou kapa kamupene, ko Te Kāhui Manutaki, nāna tonu, nā Rikki tana kaupapa kōrero whakahirahira ki te māramataka o ngāi tātou, te Māori i tuku. Tāea noatia te mutunga, nāna hoki rā taua pō i whakakapi, mā tēnei karakia e pa ana ki te ekenga tapuwae o te matatahi hei pakeke. Ko tana rere, ko tana mauri, he ia nō ao kē.
Ko te rere porotiti, ko te oro atua, te whakairi atu ai.
On 4 November 2021, at an evening gathering of our Te Kāhui Manutaki business leaders, Rikki gave a keynote talk regarding the Māori calendar and related narratives, replete with esoteric knowledge portraying iconic protagonists of the ancient Māori world. He closed with this incantation to support the message of a young person seeking enlightenment. The cadence and energy flow is ethereal.
The porotiti spinning disc accompaniment added the metaphysical conduit to lift the incantation to the heavens.
Whakarongo mai e tama
Kōtahi tonu te hiringa
I kake a Tāne Tikitiki ō Rangi
Ko te hiringa i te mahara
Kia kitea i reira
Ko Io-matua-kore anake Io-Matua-Kore
I a ia Te Toi Āriki
Te Toi Urutapu
Te Toi Ururangi
Te Toi Ururoa
Ka whakaputa a Tāne i a ia
Ki te waitohi nā Pūhaorangi
Nā-Oho-mai-rangi
Te wai i whakaata
Nā Hine Kauorohia
Kauorohia ngā rangi tūhāhā
Ka karangatia a Tāne
Ki te paepae tapu i a Rēhua(1)
I te hiku mutu o te rangi
Ka turuturu i konei
te tawhito rangi
Te tawhito uenuku
Te tawhito atua
Ka rawe a Tāne
i te hiringa matua
i te hiringa taketake
Ki te ao mārama (2)
Ka waiho hei ara mo te tini
E whakarauika nei
E tama e
Tihei Mauri ora!
(1) Antares, the brightest star in the constellation, Scorpius and the one associated with summer. Eighth month of the Māori calendar, approximately equivalent to January. An important male atua associated with kindness, enjoyment and entertainment – said by some to be the eldest child of Rangi and Papa.
Be aware young searcher
The pulse of victory is measured
That of Tāne, who is of Rangi
Vistas of ancient vitality
Visible there
Eternal source
Channeling grace
Entwined, embracing essence
Tying all things above
As a resolute legacy of fortitude
Source from whom Tāne emerged
Upon swirling wafts of moist bequests
And awakenings from above
To the recumbent waters of respite
The dulcet tones of Hine Kauorohia
Intone a higher tremor
To beckon Tāne
Upon the sacred pathway of Rēhua (1)
Completing the mantle of Rangi
Standing now resolute, in this place
Ancient
Morpheus deities
Immortals
And Tāne’s excellence
Supreme energy
Singular purpose
Silmarillion light (2)
Creates a pathway for multitudes
Whose choice it is to immerse
Oh young soul
Cape diem – seize the day!