Renewal in nature, renewal in human life.
We breathe in,
Hā ki roto.
Plants breathe out,
Hā ki waho.
Mana Tangata.
The survival of humanity.
Rongoā, a symbol of the intelligence of our tupuna.
We are your mokopuna, we thank you for your resistance which enabled our existence.
An octagon.
A circle that resists conforming to a square.
This shape in the natural world is rare.
This octagon.
A symbol of resistance, against the white man’s persistence.
They said, listen,
STOP. Sign.
We reply, the X wasn’t signed on Te Tiriti to enable the white man to create a condition we cannot live in. Where your only goal was assimilation or annihilation.
STOP repeating history.
We wish to breathe out,
Speak out, share our pre-existing ways of living.
That acknowledged the wellbeing of everything.
We need to collaborate before Te Ao asks us to evacuate.
If you cannot take in, and listen.
Then, soon the plants will not breathe in,
Hā ki roto.
And we all will have our last breath out,
Hā ki waho.
Ringatoi/Kaituhi:
Jess Collins a.k.a MissTino
Job Opportunity:
Kia ora e te whānau,
This poem is about spreading awareness of the impacts of the Tohunga Suppression Act 1907. Miss Tino is looking for someone who would be keen to perform this spoken word on video. She will come to you (anywhere in NZ) with painting and projection and you will sit between the painting and the projection. $25 an hour and you will be paid a minimum of 4 hours (for your prep and the shooting time).
To apply: Dm @misstino._ on Instagram or @misstino.art on Facebook with a past spoken word you have done or record yourself doing this one.
Ngā Manaakitanga,
Jess
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