Rosy Starlings are the kind of birds that are found in huge gathering, it’s a ruckus-some kind of wild party. Though a migrant it outnumbers the local species, a handsome bird that resemble Common Starling (Common Myna) in its looks and habits that if you don’t look carefully you will mistake. These birds breeds in south-eastern Europe and winters in the plains of India. They feed on the ground and could be seen settling on the branches of tree in large numbers. I got this bunch few weeks back at Turahalli forest. They had fed themselves sufficiently, fattened they were readying for outmigration. I found this interesting fact that migration of Rosy Starling is very much determined by flowering of Silk cotton tree (Bombax ceiba)
Maoris: Dancing with the sound of nature
The Maoris are original habitants of New Zealand whose rich culture stretch back to about a thousand year to east Polynesia. Despite inter tribal wars and extreme discrimination by colonial settlers (white man- pakeha) they have been able to protect their unique heritage. The present Maori population is around 600,000 about 
14% of the country's population. One of my favourite book as also the luckiest find from the second hand book mart on the street has been (and will be for a long time) “vanishing voices-the extinction of world’ language” (daniel nettle & suzanne romain), in one of the chapters they mention “...by 1840, there were 2,000 white settlers sharing the island and with 100,000 Maoris. By 1854, the white had increased by 32,000 and the Maoris decreased to about 60,000 a level which they were not to exceed for one hundred years. Meanwhile the European population continued to grow. The Maoris had no domestic animals except small dogs. Indeed, New Zealand had no native mammals except a species of bat. Nor did they have any exposure to the disease of the crowd. They soon succumbed to epidemics of European disease. European weeds spread into the hinterland faster than Europeans themselves. European crops and animals annexed the landscape. The Maoris knew what was happening. ‘Is not the land already gone? Is it not all covered with men, with strangers, foreigners-even as the grass and herbage-over whom we have no power?’ asked the Maori”.... “In the end, they were unable to reverse New Zealand’s conversion to a European landscape. In 1981, New Zealand was filled with 2.7 million whites, 70 million sheep, 8 million cows, and field producing 326tons of wheat. These are all European species, and are controlled by a population speaking a European language”. It reminds me of verdant forests in the subcontinent converted into tea estates by colonial Britain (incidentally the remnant of colonialism still lives in Britain in the institution of monarchy...though i have nothing against individuals- they seem like nice people- the love of some in that country for monarchy borders sycophantic hallucination. The reputed TV channel claiming “20 years of asking question” is reduced to weeks of crawling!!).
The chapter further says “The state of Maori, though still perilous, is not as bad as that of many other indigenous languages. Unlike Australia’s aborigines, New Zealand’s 100,000 indigenes all shared a common language before European contact, although there were sizeable dialectical variations. Thus Maoris have a single resource under which they can unite. Maori is spoken by atleast 50,000people. There are over 400 Maori schools, and the language id widely written and used in law. Indeed, Maori took its place alongside English as an official language of New Zealand in 1987. These are all promising developments for the language”. But still there are problems and Maori is in precarious situation. Somewhere else in the book there is a comparison with Irish, how English has invaded as language of home. What we in India can learn and be bothered is the same challenge. Here market seems to strongly favour English (indeed competence seems to be defined within this parameter...it works well when the economy is service sector oriented, some do start to believe that they really are competent!!) and so if the State doesn’t take necessary steps our languages are in serious threat.
Maoris were not only warriors adept in sailing they are also skilled craftsman. The traditional Maori welcome is called a powhiri, which is a greeting that involves pressing noses as opposed to a kiss. Prominent feature of Maori culture is the striking tattoos that adorned the face.
Maoris place much importance to waiata –songs (folklore is whakapapa, while karakia is prayer or charm songs). Much of the religion and mythology of the race is embodied in these long rhythmic recitals. Use of archaic language in songs was meant to carry the legends/folklores unaltered. Maori songs (poetry), as is the case of indigenous communities, are close to nature and are therefore dependent on musical rhythm rather than rhyme or any other linguist device.
He hara wa te manu?
14% of the country's population. One of my favourite book as also the luckiest find from the second hand book mart on the street has been (and will be for a long time) “vanishing voices-the extinction of world’ language” (daniel nettle & suzanne romain), in one of the chapters they mention “...by 1840, there were 2,000 white settlers sharing the island and with 100,000 Maoris. By 1854, the white had increased by 32,000 and the Maoris decreased to about 60,000 a level which they were not to exceed for one hundred years. Meanwhile the European population continued to grow. The Maoris had no domestic animals except small dogs. Indeed, New Zealand had no native mammals except a species of bat. Nor did they have any exposure to the disease of the crowd. They soon succumbed to epidemics of European disease. European weeds spread into the hinterland faster than Europeans themselves. European crops and animals annexed the landscape. The Maoris knew what was happening. ‘Is not the land already gone? Is it not all covered with men, with strangers, foreigners-even as the grass and herbage-over whom we have no power?’ asked the Maori”.... “In the end, they were unable to reverse New Zealand’s conversion to a European landscape. In 1981, New Zealand was filled with 2.7 million whites, 70 million sheep, 8 million cows, and field producing 326tons of wheat. These are all European species, and are controlled by a population speaking a European language”. It reminds me of verdant forests in the subcontinent converted into tea estates by colonial Britain (incidentally the remnant of colonialism still lives in Britain in the institution of monarchy...though i have nothing against individuals- they seem like nice people- the love of some in that country for monarchy borders sycophantic hallucination. The reputed TV channel claiming “20 years of asking question” is reduced to weeks of crawling!!).The chapter further says “The state of Maori, though still perilous, is not as bad as that of many other indigenous languages. Unlike Australia’s aborigines, New Zealand’s 100,000 indigenes all shared a common language before European contact, although there were sizeable dialectical variations. Thus Maoris have a single resource under which they can unite. Maori is spoken by atleast 50,000people. There are over 400 Maori schools, and the language id widely written and used in law. Indeed, Maori took its place alongside English as an official language of New Zealand in 1987. These are all promising developments for the language”. But still there are problems and Maori is in precarious situation. Somewhere else in the book there is a comparison with Irish, how English has invaded as language of home. What we in India can learn and be bothered is the same challenge. Here market seems to strongly favour English (indeed competence seems to be defined within this parameter...it works well when the economy is service sector oriented, some do start to believe that they really are competent!!) and so if the State doesn’t take necessary steps our languages are in serious threat.
Maoris were not only warriors adept in sailing they are also skilled craftsman. The traditional Maori welcome is called a powhiri, which is a greeting that involves pressing noses as opposed to a kiss. Prominent feature of Maori culture is the striking tattoos that adorned the face.
Maoris place much importance to waiata –songs (folklore is whakapapa, while karakia is prayer or charm songs). Much of the religion and mythology of the race is embodied in these long rhythmic recitals. Use of archaic language in songs was meant to carry the legends/folklores unaltered. Maori songs (poetry), as is the case of indigenous communities, are close to nature and are therefore dependent on musical rhythm rather than rhyme or any other linguist device.
He hara wa te manu?
He pitori te manu,
He hara wa te manu?
He karewa te manu,
I whano ki reira, “titi” ai-
I whano ki reira, “kete” ai,
I whano ki reira tutu mai ai;
Te manu atu tupu ra tangata,
Matua i a Tané.
Tahu-e!
Nau mai!
Kia piri, kia tata.
(Translation)
What is this bird?
It is a wood-robin.
What is the bird?
Now, 'tis a sparrow-hawk.
It jumps hither and thither, chirping “Ti-ti!”
It jumping there, calling “ke-te!”
It skips, it flutters from bough to bough.
This is the bird that is to bring forth men,
The parent of mankind.
O wife of mine.
Come hither!
Approach and fly to my embrace
“Haul up the Canoe.”
“Haul up the Canoe.”
Tōia mai te waka,
Kūmea mai te waka,
Ki te urunga—te waka;
Ki te moenga—te waka,
Ki te takotorango
I takoto ai te waka.
Tōia mai te waka
Ki te urunga!
(Translation)
Oh haul away
The war-canoe,
Oh hither draw
Our great canoe,
To the resting-place,
To the sleeping-place,
To the abiding-place,
Oh haul away,
For home comes our canoe!
“Te Riwaru”
“Te Riwaru”
My great canoe,
How speeds to shore my long canoe,
Light as the fleecy cloud above
That bears to Tauranga my love.
My carved canoe
Te Riwaru.
O dear canoe!
That featly o'er the waters flew
From Arorangi, Island home
Far in old Kiwa's ocean foam;
The paddles in the toiling hands—
How plunge they at Hautu's commands!
My own canoe
My Riwaru.
My Riwaru.
Oh urge along
My brave canoe,
O viewless powers of earth and air,
O Uru, list, O Ngangana!
Drive on with lightning stroke and free,
O'erwhelm with storm our enemy;
Oh swiftly paddle, swift and true,
Our proud canoe
Te Ri-wa-ru!
Te Ri-wa-ru!
A Patriotic Song
Ka ngapu te whenua,
Ka haere nga tangata ki whea?
E Ruaimoko!
Purutia!
Tawhia!
Kia ita!
A-a-a ita!
Kia mau, kia mau!
The land is slipping away;
Where shall man find an abiding-place?
O Ruaimoko!
(God of the under-world)
Hold fast our lands!
Bind, tightly bind!
Be firm, be firm,
Nor let them from our grasp be torn.
“Pass On along the Quiet Ways.”
Hare ra, e Pa, i te ara haukore,
Taku ate hoki ra, taku pa kairiri
Ki te ao o te tonga;
Taku manu-korero ki te nohoanga pahii,
Taku manu hakahaka ki runga ki nga iwi.
Houhia mai ra te matua
Ki te kahu Tahu-whenua;
Houhia mai ra te matua
Ki te kahu Taharangi.
Marewa e te iwi
Nana i whitiki taku motoi-kahurangi,
Ka mau ki te taringa;
Taku koko-tangiwai
Ka mau ki te kaki;
Taku pou-mataaho e tu i te whare.
Kia tu mai koe i te ponaihu o te waka,
Kia whakarongo koe te wawara tangi wai hoe.
Waiho i muri nei to pukai-kura—i!
(Translation.)
Pass on, O Sire, along the quiet ways;
The beloved one of my heart, my shelter and defence
Against the bleak south wind.
My speaking-bird that charmed the assembled tribes,
That swayed the people's councils.
Clothe him, the Father, with the stately garments,
The very fine mats Tahu-whenua and Taharangi,
Place in his ear the precious jewel-stone,
The greenstone kahurangi,
Hang on his breast the koko-tangiwai,
Of glistening lucid jade.
O thou wert a prop within the house:
At the prow of the canoe thou wert,
Ears bent to the splashing sound
Of many paddles.
Our prized kaka-bird has gone,
The plumes alone remain.
A Song of Praise
Pinépiné te kura,
Hau te kura,
Whanake te kura,
I raro i Awarua.
Ko te kura nui,
Ko te kura roa,
Ko te kura na Tuhoe-po.
Tenei te tira hou,
Tenei hara mai nei
Na Te Umurangi
Na Te Whatu-i-apiti.
Nau mai, e Tama,
Ki te tai ao nei.
Kia whakangungua koe
Ki te kahikatoa.
Ki te tumatakuru.
Ki te tara-ongaonga;
Na tairo rawa
Nahau e Kupe
I waiho i te ao nei.
(Translation)
Oh, bind thy noble brows
With the lordly red feathers,
Waving bravely in the wind;
The plumes brought hither
From Awarua, our distant home;
The great plumes, the lofty plumes,
The treasured plumes of our ancestor Tuhoe-po.
Thou art the traveller brought hitherward
By Te Umurangi and Te Whatu-i-Apiti.
Thou'lt be a powerful shield against
The weapons of the world;
The sharp and deadly spears,
The pricking darts and stings
That fill the foeman's armoury;
Thou'lt conquer e'en the barriers
Which Kupe the explorer raise
To guard this new-found land.
