It’s cool to kōrero — Nov 2024 – Kaitiaki Nursing New Zealand

Young people’s black hair, huru mangu, symbolises hope and progress in the whakataukī, “E tū te huru mā, haramai e noho, E tū te huru mangu, hanatu e haere. While the white hair will stay put, the black hair will set forth on the journey.” (Image AI generated)

The mangu (black), mā (white) and whero (red) of the tino rangatiratanga flag were much in evidence at the recent te Tiriti o Waitangi hikoi. The black represents the void, the place beyond the realm of everyday experience.

Haere mai and welcome to the November “it’s cool to kōrero” column. This month we’re focusing on the word mangu, one of two commonly used words for “black” in te reo (the other is pango).
Mangu can signify many things, from the darkness (Te Mangu) at the start of a Māori creation story, to the black of a young person’s hair, to the colour of a mysterious little predator who shares many of our homes.

In Māori culture, black has many powerful symbolic meanings. Te Mangu is part of the progression from nothingness at the start of the creation story, so it signifies the unknown but also the potential for creation and life.

Mangu also signifies mana and prestige, and is often seen in the colour of cloaks and in moko, symbolising the status of the wearer.

The colour black is also strongly associated with mourning, and represents the transition from the physical to the spiritual world.

And mangu is the colour of the ngeru (cat) that brings good luck…

Kupu hou (new word)

Mangu (black)
He mangu taku ngeru. — My cat is black.

How to pronounce this correctly, with the help of co-editor Renee Kiriona:

Whakataukī (proverb)

E tū te huru mā, haramai e noho,
E tū te huru mangu, hanatu e haere.
While the white hair will stay put,
the black hair will set forth on the journey.

This whakataukī came from Ngāpuhi ancestor and navigator Nukutawhiti, as he left war-torn Hawaiiki, to find a place of new hope for his people. His waka eventually arrived at what is now Hokianga.

The white hair, huru ma, is a metaphor for the old failed ways of conflict, and the black hair, huru mangu symbolises the new generation, full of hope and courage.

E mihi ana ki a Renee Kiriona rāua ko Mairi Lucas.

Sources

https://maoridictionary.co.nz
https://teara.govt.nz/en/maori-creation-traditions
https://matariki.co.nz/maori-colors-meanings-and-cultural-significance/#the-role-of-color-in-maori-culture
Ngatoki O Ngapuhi (Facebook page)

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