Te Kete Kaiora

NGĀ KUPU

WHAKAPĀKEHĀ

Raranga rā taku kete, Te Kete Kaiora, e…
Tuia ki runga, tuia ki raro
Tuia ngā wai o taku moana, o Wairarapa (Te Karu o Te Ika)
Tuia te muka tangata Whaowhia he mangōtipi
(Kia mate ururoa)
Whaowhia he hurumanu, he punaweko
(Kia rere ki runga)

Tākirikiri ana Te Tiriti o Waitangi He whenu ka horo
He whenu ka mau
He whakahokinga whenua
Tākiri te rangi ki runga o taku kete Te Kete Kaiora, e….

Nau mai e te tini makehua Ki Te Kete Kaiora
nā Tāne, nā Tangaroa
E hora ake nei mō te iwi, e…
Hi, auē, hī!

Weave my basket, Te Kete Kaiora,
Bind in all that is above and all that is below
Bind in my lake, Wairarapa (The Eye of The Fish)
Bind together the fibers of the people Fill my basket with the Mangōtipi (Be resilient and fight to the death)
Fill it with the hurumanu and punaweko
(So that I may soar high)

When The Treaty has been breached The strands
(of my basket) are weakened But, when the land is returned The strands (of my basket) are strong Let the light of the sky shine upon my basket, Te Kete Kaiora, e

I, welcome the multitudes To the basket, Te Kete Kaiora,
made by Tāne and Tangaroa Here to sustain my people, e…

Hi auē, hī!

WHAKAMĀRAMA

This waiata pays homage to the rich legacy of Wairarapa Moana. The theme draws inspiration from the carvings at the Wairarapa Moana office aptly named ‘Te Kete Kaiora’, the food basket or basket of sustenance. The song takes its name from those carvings.

The underlying message, repeated throughout the song, is about binding the people together and calling them back to said ‘basket of sustenance’ to our moana, who throughout the years has continued to provide for our whānau.

Composition Title	Te Kete Kaiora
Musical Score Composed By	Manaia Rīwai-Couch
Lyrics Composed By	Mei-Manaia Warakihi-Stevens
Date Item Composed	Matariki 2023