Te Ika a Maui

Sorry for the late post this week. I am sick again, or still, depending on how you look at it. I am finally focusing on complete rest and recovery, instead of trying to continue on with all the things I have to do, even though my body is struggling. I'm hoping that it makes all the difference.

For this post, I'd like to share a wonderful pūrākau (legend) with you, and I've decided that a couple videos I found will do a much better job of that than I would. Plus, while you watch them, I can take a nap.

This one is in Māori, but it's got English subtitles, and it's great to listen to Māori language, as it is beautiful. It is a reading of the book by Peter Gossage, who writes amazing versions of many pūrākau. We have this book at work, and read it all the time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nb9Y99KQG1k

This one is an elementary school class who did a video/storytelling project on this pūrākau, and I thought it was wonderful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=use33jVKo7o

Lest you think that this is unrelated to your life, one connection you might have with this story is to Moana (which I still recommend, if you still haven't seen it). During his song, Maui sings, "What can I say except, 'You're welcome, for the islands I pulled from the sea.'" That's this one! I live on the island he pulled from the sea!

The amazing thing about this (and other) pūrākau is the connection my children have to it, and the sense of ecological identity that it gives them. It is part of their worldview that they live at the head of Te Ika a Maui (Maui's Fish), and this rich cultural heritage forms some of their sense of self in a beautifully interconnected way. I love it.

I will share more fantastic pūrākau in future posts.