Ihi

Ko te ata tuatahi o tā Lisa Reihana Ihi, 2020 ko Papatūānuku e mirimiri ana i tōna puku. Kua hapū ia, ā tōna wā ka whānau mai i a ia ngā tamahine e 70, ngā tamatāne e 70. He mahi rangatira te mahi toi nei, he tirohanga hou ki te kōrero a te Māori e pā ana ki te hanganga o te ao, arā, ki te whakawehenga i a Ranginui rāua ko Papatūānuku. Ka noho pūmau ngā tamariki i te pōuriuri o te awhi piritata a ō rātou mātua. Ka hēmanawa tētahi o ngā tamatāne i te piri rawa o te noho, ka toko ake te whakaaro ki te whakamahi i ōna waewae hei whakawehe i ōna mātua. Nā taua whakawehenga i puta mai ai ki te wheiao ki te ao mārama, ka titiro atu a Tāne ki te tātai tuarangi.

Ka rapu tonu, ka kimi tonu, ka piki tonu ki te tiki i ngā kete mātauranga e toru: Te Kete Tuatea, Te Kete Aronui, ngā kōhatu tapu e rua. Ka huri ngā kōhatu hei ua i pūhiko iho ai kia matomato ai a Papatūānuku.

Lisa Reihana’s Ihi, 2020 begins with Papatūānuku (earth mother) rubbing her belly. She is hapū (pregnant) and will go on to birth 70 daughters and 70 sons. The work is a magisterial and epic retelling of the Māori creation story of Ranginui (sky father) and Papatūānuku – their separation and its effects on humankind. The two were originally locked in a close embrace and their children dwelt in the darkness between them. But one of their sons, Tāne, became frustrated by the lack of space and decided to use his strong legs to push his parents apart.

As a result of the separation bright light fills the void and Tāne looks out across the cosmos. He continues on his quest, climbing to retrieve three baskets of knowledge: Te Kete Tuatea (basket of light), Te Kete Aronui (basket of pursuit), and two sacred stones. The stones turned into droplets which flowed onto Papatūānuku and made her lush and green.

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