Whanau

The word for "family" in Maori is whanau (pronounced "fah-no"). This represents both immediate and extended family.

I just started reading a play called Waiora by Hone Kouka, for my "Drama and Theatre in Aotearoa New Zealand" course, and just came across a scene that hit home. It’s between an 18 year-old Maori girl called Rongo, whose immediate family have just moved from the country to the city, and a Pakeha (white, European New Zealander) school-teacher called Louise, and here’s an excerpt:


Rongo
I think Mum's real lonely. No one to talk to here; no other whanau, just us.

Louise
Oh, but there’s other Maori people here.

Rongo
We’re not all the same, you know. We miss our family.

Louise
It won’t take long. You’ve only been here a year. You’ll get to know people.

Rongo
You don’t understand, do you?

Louise
Understand what?

Rongo
What we left behind. Back home, if we had a problem, we could go to an aunty, an uncle, and they always knew what to do, but here we have no one. When we fall, there’s no one there to catch us, soften the blow.

Louise
Rongo, you all have work, money, a big house, your father’s going to be promoted. You have nothing to fear. Your family’s flying high. What are you afraid of?

Rongo
Falling.