Turtle speaks:

“Our Mother Earth is in urgent need of immediate love and support. Her core has been breached and she is bleeding. Unchecked sulphur, oil, and toxic gases in the Gulf of Mexico are giving way to widening fissures that threaten life as we know it, on all the lands and in all the waters we love.

~ It need not be so ~

The Ancient Ones are calling on humankind to go to the waters.”

For the sake of our dear mokopuna and generations of grandchildren to come,the time is critical. And so,
Dear human kind.. All Our Relations.. Let us answer the call of the ancestors and join our hearts in intention to curtail the hemorrhage, address the underlying grief and wrong-thinking, and send love to our beloved Grandmother Earth.

THE TIME IS NOW: July 25 through 30, astrological likelihood for further breakdown of old structures such as we have seen is ripe. However, on July 12 (New Zealand time) the sun sextiles Mars, and Venus and Regulus are aligned. We experience a solar eclipse crossing through the Pacific and directly over the emotional, naval center of the earth (Rapanui / Easter Island). We exit the tunnel, which began at the lunar eclipse and Grand Cross on June 26. This will be the opportune window to avert further injury and to begin restoration of our beautiful Mother.

~ We Are Water ~

All things are alive and connected through water. Water is a conscious conduit and instantaneous transmitter of intention. Our intention is that we not go again the way of Atlantis, but
to replenish and rejoin our Mother in truth, beauty and harmony.

We call for prayer-gatherings over local waterways.
This Sunday July 11th at dawn and at dusk in preparation for the great shadow eclipse, and again gathering on Monday the 12th at the actual time of the eclipse:
(7:35am NZ time.) Go to www.timeanddate.com/worldclock for your local time.
Those nearby are invited to come to Waikirikiri River at White Cliffs Domain, out of Christchurch, New Zealand at 7:30am, and again at 6pm, both days.

Please share this timely intention worldwide via e-chains and websites.

And individually.. beginning immediately, with every morning and evening star.. Let us send from our hearts, messages of deeply felt apology and love, through bright Venus to the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Let us re-imagine, with our hearts, her waters once again crystalline and shimmering with life and light. We need not try to understand how this will be accomplished, but envision it so, with great love. United in purpose, the will of the highest good shall become manifest. Let it be so.

In gratitude, and in service to our beloved mother Papatuanuku / Gaia
Makere, Mareikura o Waitaha (Waitaha Grandmother); Juliette Peck; Loraine Web; Rua Pick; Michelle Croft; Diane Cutler; Remy Kiehn-Lindsey; Barry Mathers.

There is much concern from across the communities in that they can see the effect of this latest farming fad. ‘Feeding the world’ is the term used by the large corporation to validate their need to expand and take more and more from the aquifers. Those who are more aware of the poor health of the waterways in turn say, at what cost!!! Trading away our children’s rights to have healthy waters to go to and live by; trading away the health of the creatures that live in the environs of the waterways, is this the cost? Remember the tuna, the eels. If they die the rivers die!!

All rivers, all lakes indeed all waterways are sacred. And so a small group of intrepid travellers, 3 adults and 4 children set off on a spirit journey to our sacred rivers and waterways. Our intention was to go to our rivers to honour them in their aged mana, to honour them as the life giving forces they have been since the beginning of time, to acknowledge them, to give them our aroha, respect and our deep deep wish that they will survive to become more healthy so as to sustain all the creatures of Tangaroa who dwell within their realms and those that live on the periphery of these realms for the future. And as well to become healthy to sustain our children and grandchildren and subsequently the grandchildren of the future so they inturn can become the kaitiaki, the caretakers and guardians of the waterways that they are born to be.

The journey began at Waikirikiri. We slept the night beside our river. A small group of grandmothers and other family came to join us. We all went to the river to begin the ceremony. As the first karakia was closing we heard the sound of something in the water. We looked over to see two tuna lifting their heads out of the water. We all smiled and knew that these wise beings of the world of Tangaroa were aware of the intention of this journey and had come to express their gratitude. As well were leaving the valley the soft rain of Iho Rangi began to fall gently like a blessing. We headed towards the Rakaia Gorge where we were to stay that night and rise the next morning to a stunning sunrise complete with tuna in the cloud community.

And so we slept beside the six main braided rivers over six nights. In the mornings we would begin the day with ceremony reciting prayers, then we would go to the waters and place our intentions and wishes for them to be healthy and flourish. We would complete this ceremony by singing our aroha and gratitude to the waters. The children took delight in leading these songs.

As we traveled during the day we stopped at as many rivers as we could to pay homage to them. These rivers were smaller than the ones we slept beside. Some of them had small flows, some had just a trickle and sadly some were completely dried up. Yes we have had a dry summer but some of these rivers had been dried up for many a year. They were once substantial because the bridges that crossed them are very substantial.

Going down through the McKenzie country we went to the precious lakes of Tekapo, Pukaki and Ohau. Each of these waterways had their own character of course and sang their own songs. And at all of these places we found heart shaped stones. And we paid homage to the tears of Ranginui that have fallen and continue to fall to make up these waterways.

The stark beauty of the land never ceased to amaze us and often we were privy to a stunning sunset and or sunrise. For three days our trail was blessed with the tears from the Sky Father and this came in the form of light rain to the swirling mists of Hinepukohurangi. The last night we were at the mighty Hurunui River in north Canterbury. The north west wind, Tu Te Raki Hau Noa was reigning supreme over the mountains as huge banks of clouds pressed relentlessly forward over the mountains to spill over the plains of Canterbury. The light on our beloved Mother Earth, Papatuanuku was breathe taking. The moon setting on the last morning was spectacular to witness. Marama was continually bathed in rainbow colours as the sun rose in the east.

The children participated fully in the ceremonies and recited the karakia at the rivers, to the mountains and to the rising and setting of the sun and the moon. It was a wonderful learning opportunity for them, indeed the whole week was a Wananga, a time of learning. We concluded this trail in the Valley of the Teachers returning once again to our sacred awa called Waikirikiri and beneath our sacred mountain Wharariki. We were bathed in the dappled light of Autumn, the water flowed gently over the stones. It was a perfect end to a beautiful trail.

It is time to communicate with the natural realms. They wait for us to do so. They listen and if one is blessed one will hear or sense their presence as they respond, and they do and they will.

Toku awa, ko toku ora, my river is my life, toku awa, ko toku mana, my river is my authority, toku awa, ko toku kaha, my river is my strength, toku awa, ko toku wairua, my river is my spirit. (Whispers of Waitaha: Traditions of a Nation).

The dawn was spectacular leaving the sky in a glowing silvery light for the launch. Sister Ann Te Maiharoa-Dodds recited a blessing and karakia for the crew and the mokihi. The reed canoe was then gently ushered into the quiet waters of the river.

There were three paddlers, Shane Te Maiharoa, his neice Katarina Te Maiharoa and Bruce Parker on the first day. The support crew consisted of one jet boat and a kayak paddled by other family members. The kayak had a difficult job keeping up with the mokihi. The second and final day saw just Shane and Katarina paddling the Mokihi escorted by three kayaks containing other family members.

There was much jubilation when they all arrived safely at their final destination. The river conditions were perfect. The weather was perfect. The ancestors were very joyful because of this epic event. A journey of remembrance. A journey honouring the knowledge of the ancestors. A journey of aspiration and inspiration for the young generations involved. Ka nui te aroha ki a koutou, he taonga tuku ihu na nga tupuna.

Makere Ruka Te Korako (co author of Whispers of Waitaha and Song of Waitaha); Marilyn McGuire (founder of Nautilus Book Awards); Shawnee (assistant)

I was blessed to be able to attend the Book Expo America held in Los Angelas in May 2008 where the winners in all the categories were invited to be present for book signing opportunities. It was a whirl wind event   during which the message of  Peace was able to be conveyed to a wide international audience. It was a pleasure to meet this quietly passionate woman Marilyn McGuire and to thank her for honouring the wisdoms of the Grandmothers of Waitaha.

Makere with Paddy and Kathy Ryan Pacific Island Books, U.S. distributors of our books.

I will go back to the beginning. In the mid 1980’s a decision was made by a senior elder of the time here in Te Waipounamu. Because of the pain of the people and the lands he decided that the time had come for the philosophy of Waitaha to be brought back into the World of Light, Te Ao Marama, ‘to heal the people and to heal the land’ because Waitaha are a people of Peace and adhere to the philosophy of Rongomaraeroa, keeper of all things peaceful, truth and aroha, compassion.

He wanted some of the stories and wisdom of Waitaha to be brought out in written form .He then instructed 5 people to do this sacred work. He nominated the 5 people. Each person was given specific roles to play in the production of this book. There were people, a man and a woman whose geneology went back in to the Waitaha people. With their combined knowledge in the modern world and the old world of Waitaha they were key to this whole process because this work had to be carried out adhering to the strict protocols of ritual and ceremony. There was to be a scribe and this was Barry Brailsford. There was Derek Mitchell who had the knowledge of the technological world, he even created a special font for the book. He was a skilled photographer and a designer as well. Richard Nunn’s carried the sounds of the ancient musical instruments for the Trail of 1989 then Barbara Brailsford became involved as one of the five. She had a key role in the work for the book, Song of Waitaha. She was the person who held the group together with her skills as an organiser for the many journeys that had to be taken during the gathering of the information.

So this number 5 made up the group to bring this work forward. Before this could happen though the sacred and ancient trails of Peace, Rongomaraeroa had to be opened. It had been closed over 100 years before this by the ancestors. In the tradition of peace there was to be no blood shed on the trail. Sadly this happened and the decision was made to close the trail. This trail could not be walked in the traditional way again. The Rahui was put on the trail for that time although they knew that in the future it would be lifted to enable the return of the teachings for the World to learn again the way of peace to live by.

And so on December 10, 1988 a party of 12 began this journey. For everyone of the 12 who walked there was a kaumatua fasting and in deep prayer. The 12 was made up of 4 women and 8 men, there were 5 Maori and 7 European, 5 rangatahi, young people and 7 adults.

People were chosen for various reasons, blood ties to the land through whakapapa, skills for working in the outdoors, knowledge of the tikanga of the trails and the ability to conduct and lead ceremony and ritual for the trail, leadership skills in the outdoors and people skills to hold the group together in this very significant event.

The journey took 7 days and we were tested to the maximum spiritually, emotionally, physically and mentally. It awakened the memory of old knowledge to the ones who carried blood ties to these sacred trails. Some knew parts of the trails intimately even though they had never been there before, some were able to predict things that would happen, some knew of pending danger, one knew what we had to find along the way and where these places were, one was able to read the star maps; one was totally fearless when it came to climbing cliffs and negotiating difficult waterways, others knew intuitively when to come alongside and offer support. All were brave and so very courageous, especially the young woman who almost lost her life one terrible day. The night of that day when we were safely ensconced in the nice warm hut, she announced that if a helicopter flies by she was going to hitch a ride. The next morning a helicopter did arrive literally out of the blue and she didn’t want to leave the group, she stayed on for the rest of the journey.

And so we were to find 7 gateways along this trail. They were described to us from the memory of a 6 year old. And every one of these gates was exactly as was recalled by this man.

So our tasks were many. One was to find these 7 gateways along the way, there was one for every day as it turned out.

Another task was to get the whale over the pass, another was to identify the constellation that was to be in the heavens directly above the sacred lake, the daily task of identifying the gateway and approaching it in the traditional ceremonial way of our ancestors and to enact the ceremony and rituals as was the way of the old ones, was enacted every day, another was to listen for the specific birds associated to the trails and to watch for them.

All of these tasks were met. Much fun and singing rang out over the trail during that week. There were many challenges as well but challenges met with courage and strength of heart, mind and spirit and body.

Our ancestors were with us and showed themselves to us in different ways, sometimes a glimpse of them out of the corner of one’s eye, sometimes the sound of music and laughter, sometimes in dreams, always with much love. And so seven days after we set out we arrived at the base camp on the eastern side of the trail and received a beautiful warm welcome from the people who held the mauri of the kaupapa of the trail, that is the lifting of and the opening of the Trails in the name of Rongomaraeroa.

It is with much gratitude that I salute those who took part but first it is with sadness that I farewell the spirit of one of the rangatahi, noreira e Puke, haere haere haere atu ra e tama, toku poutokomana maku o tera huarahi tapu, e rere koe I runga I tou hoki atu ki ou tupuna maha kua whetu rangitia, noreira toku tama, haere, haere, haere atu ra.

To Jo De Sierre, Derek Mitchell, Richard Nunns, Barry Braislford, Peter Brailsford, Gordon Brailsford, Katrina Ruka, Pere Ruka, Caroline Mitchell and Petariki Ngarimu I acknowledge your courage and commitment to this trail, the love and the light and laughter we shared, the special little meals each of you contributed, the acknowledgement of the gifts you all brought to the Trail and the way you conducted yourselves throughout with dignity, grace and integrity.

Ka nui toku aroha ki a koutou katoa. And so with the Trail completed the five who were called together by a senior kaumatua of the time, Te Pani Manawatu, were able to begin work on the book.

This work involved visiting sites of significance to Waitaha ancestors, to enact ceremony at these sites and after which the stories were released. This involved the people born of the tikanga and whakapapa (traditions and genealogy of Waitaha) and the scribe and the gentleman who was chosen because of his skills as a designer, technician in the IT world and photographer, and of course all of these journeys were co coordinated by yet another member of the five.

The five worked together on all aspects of the production of the book. Visiting the sites and recording took 2 years, it took another 2 years for the scribe and the designer to weave it together into it’s form as it is now, then it took another 2 years for the proof reading, publishing and printing of the book so that it was launched at Onetahua Marae, Golden Bay on December 10, 1994 exactly 6 years after we set foot on the Trail in 1988. And so this year marks the 21st year since that auspicious date.

This time of the year down here in the South Pacific Ocean is the changing of the seasons and is when Winter likes to make it’s presence known and so it was the eve of Mother’s Day 10 May 2009. I woke in the early hours of the morning to the Mother of all storms. I lay in bed thinking oh no my grandchildren are going to catch pneumonia in this storm if it continues. We were to gather between 7 and 8a.m. for the arranged ceremony at ‘sunrise’. And so I quietly asked for some relenting of the storm between that hour. We rose at 6 a.m., the storm was lashing the hills around us with snow flurries as well. But as we drove down the hill to the beach the storm abated and when we arrived, all was calm and quite mild. The storm could be seen raging in a huge circle over the city in the distance and out across the plains to the mountains, not that we could see them. About 30 people gathered together. We formed a circle and began with karakia and song. The process for the prayer was explained along with the intention and we were to go to the water and place our intention to heal the waters of the world and in turn bring balance and healing to Papatuanuku our Earth Mother. As we went to the sea one of the participants, a man, came to me with tears streaming down his face as he handed me this cylindrical object. He explained that while I was explaining the process for the ceremony he noticed this object being brought in on the Tide and that as he watched it come in it was deposited at my feet. We both wept at the beauty of this offering from Tangaroa the Water Entity of our people and culture. We all gathered back into the circle. I placed the ‘crucible’ in the centre of the circle along with a piece of pounamu and as we began our closing karakia and song, a tiny white feather drifted down from the heavens and landed alongside the gift from Tangaroa. It was such a precious moment, one of connection, oneness and unity. I was so grateful for my grandchildren being present to witness this and participate in this event. I was the last to leave the beach and as I was climbing up the bank to the roadway, Tawhirimatea, the weather entity, started to blow in a blustery way, as if to say, come one hurry up,  have held my breathe for an hour to allow this ceremony to happen, time is up, be off with you!! 

And later that day we all gathered for the World Premier of Earth Whisperers, Papatuanuku in Sumner, Christchurch. Check out www.wickcandle.co.nz for more information of this film/documentary produced by renowned film maker, Kathleen Gallagher of Christchurch.

Tena koe, greetings,

This project evolved out of a conversation I had with my friend and sister Icasiana Barrs. I worked on behalf of the Waitaha Grandmothers with Icasiana of Samadhi Life. We wanted to honour our Beloved Earth Mother in a good way.

Mothers Day is perfect is it not? The concepts for the above event revolve around the Waitaha philosophy of the power and sounds of words in karakia (chant, prayer, mantra, meditation). When this is recited in, over, around or across water, the intention of the karakia travels instantly to where it is directed to go. For those who cannot get to a waterway simply recite your prayer and intention over a bowl of water in your home. Know that all water is connected.

This is an opportunity for us to show our aroha, love and compassion and gratitude for our Earth Mother and as well include healing for all her waterways. We ask that you begin your karakia at dawn with the words Peace to the Universe, love to the Universe, truth to the Universe, joy to the Universe, Peace to the Universe. Some of you know this as the waiata/song AIO ki te Aorangi so sing it if you wish to, that would be just as perfect. And then place your intention of healing Her waterways.

A suggested timeframe could be for 30 minutes to an hour. Imagine the rolling impact around the world this will have for our Beloved Mother Earth. We ask that you share news of this event with all of your friends and relations please.

We look forward to meeting you all in spirit at dawn on Mothers Day.

Aroha mai, aroha atu (love is reciprocal, what goes out is returned)
Makere

Imagine this becoming a daily event. It is that simple, that it is possible, is it not? Think about it, honouring our beloved Mother Earth on a regular basis.

Keeping a promise which was almost 6500 years old.

Ko Wharariki te maunga Wharariki is the mountain

Ko Waikirikiri te awa Waikirikiri is the river

Nukunuku te whare Nukunuku is the house

Ohau Matua te papakainga Ohau Matua is the sacred land

Mokoroa te kaitiaki Mokoroa is the guardian

Waitaha te iwi Waitaha is the people

Kurawaka te hapu Kurawaka are the families

Ko Makere Aroha Anikaitawa Ruka Te Korako ahau.

2007, was the year of the Wai Taha Spirit Carriers. I had the privilege and honour to return 6500 years after my eponymous Ancestress Hine Te Kakara o Titiraukura left the shores of the Turtle Island.

My husband Te Porohau Ruka Te Korako and I embarked on this journey together. I walked it physically and he walked it spiritually with me.

Many of our relations joined us on this magnificent journey from as far north as the Haida of the Queen Charlotte Islands to as far south as the Inca of Peru. They all verified our stories saying, ‘yes, we have the same epic stories.’

And so the prophecy was to return and touch the sacred memory stones of our people within Turtle Island. For it was from this island that our ancestors left so long ago. The matriarch announced that the time had come for a specially selected group of people to sail away from the Turtle to re establish the Nation in a far off place deep in the South Pacific, to retain the knowledge, the geneological lines and the way of life of Peace with all things, all peoples, all places. (this is spoken of in the first chapters of Whispers). The essence of the prophecy was to keep the promise made by those ones who left all that time ago that we would never forget them and that one day in the mists of time, a direct descendant of the Matriarch, would return to do just that, awaken the spirit by keeping the promise.

There were four other very significant places to Waitaha that needed to be visited. Three in North America and one in Mexico. The distances were vast and one wondered how this could happen but spirit provided as is always the case.

Another part of the work was to visit as many sites of grief as possible to lift and free the spirits trapped in the trauma of those times. In the ceremonies involved with these visits the spirits were released enabling the land and the people to begin the healing process. Such was the power of the old ones who walked unseen with us on this journey.

Visiting the lands of the ancient ones, to pray with, to sing with, to walk among, to feel, to look to touch this ancient spirit in these magnificent places was an honour and indeed a privilege, truly gifts left by the ancestors, he taonga tuku iho.

My first footsteps in this land was to visit the people of the Okanagan of British Columbia. It was a spontaneous journey, a response to the call of the spirit to take a copy each of the Song and the Whispers to these people, 4 of whom I had met some weeks before at a conference in California. This journey was blessed with snow in the most appropriate of places but out of season. I was carrying the peace stone, pounamu, to gift to these people. My heart sang when we were travelling the high pass towards Penticton and Ohinehuka (snow)began to fall, much to the consternation of my travelling companions. (they got used to this phenomena in the end). And so the greenstone was blessed by the snow before the gifting to the people, a true blessing in our traditions. The journey was further blessed by 2 other ‘snowy’ occurances. Once out of a magnificent clear evening sky during the placing of a related stone on a bluff above Lake Okanagan and again the following dawn when we woke to snow and it snowed from Princeton to the coast, news of which hit national headlines in the States. People were still talking about it at end of that summer down in Santa Cruz!!! And so I was crowned the Snow Queen!!!

A few days after I was introduced to the Great Grandson of Big Foot, a chief of the Oglala Sioux of 1889 and so the calling to visit Wounded Knee was made and the commitment to visit other places of trauma was confirmed by the old ones. And so began the journey.

This sacred of sacred journeys began on May 4 and ended 28 days later on June 1, 2007.In my role we were to visit the four ancient prayer sites in the Land of the Turtle to awaken the spirit in these places, to awaken the memory of the ancient ones and to free the spirits of the recent ancestors in order for them to heal and for the land and the descendants to begin their healing.

I travelled with 2 companions, a male and a female, whose combined knowledge of the lands, the peoples and the languages were invaluable to this whole journey. They were steadfast and true to the essence of this journey. They were totally dedicated and supportive and respectful of the sacredness of such a journey. And we travelled unnoticed in a special waka (vehicle) disguised as a white van. Two other companions travelled with us in spirit. One on the island in the North West Pacific, and one deep down in the South Pacific in Aotearoa, New Zealand.

We were asked to visit the Long House of the Coast Salish people of Laconner, Washington. Here we were met and blessed by Elders and wisdom keepers of the local tribes. Aunty Vi Hilbert, beloved Skagit Elder, Aunty Skarla of the Lummi Nation and Johnny Moses and family. Snow blessed us on the first day of this journey also.

We travelled through to Wyoming, across to South Dakota, through to Denver, Colardo. We flew out to Ohio and back and then continued to drive through to Texas, through New Mexico to Arizona and up to Utah. We flew from Salt Lake City to Mexico City and back to continue driving back up to Washington and home having touched the four sacred sites to Waitaha.

We covered almost 8000 miles in that time. Each day brought unexpected blessings. Every day. From the one rainy day and the spectacular gifts that we received, to the small remnant of snow in the desert at another sacred site we visited. We were alone at almost all of these places except for the soft breezes and sometimes under the gaze of a big cat (we saw telltale footprints and other evidence of their close presence) as we walked the ancient canyon floor of Horseshoe Canyon to the Gallery where 12 foot images of the ancient ones greeted us on the sunbaked walls to the Hopi family who were selling food and crafts to raise money for their daughter to attend a Ziggy Marley concert that night, to the little Chip Monk that appeared miraculously out of the grass at the saddest of saddest places where we were numb with the grief, this little creature blessed us with its presence to lift our spirits to complete the task at hand there, to the Red Hawk feather which was lying directly in our path as we were walking out of another grief stricken place the wonder of which lifted our spirits again and it goes on and on, blessing after blessing, to the 3 beautiful butterflies which flew around us as we sat and rested at the top of the Sun Pyramid of Te Otihuacan in Mexico after having completed an ancient ceremony honouring the ancestors of our families. A few days later I had an email from a dear friend (from New Zealand) who said she had seen 3 beautiful butterflies during her meditation and she wondered if we were on the Sun Pryamid atTe Otihuacan on that same day!!

And then we were welcomed back to the place we left from by our dear friends and family in the most humbling of welcoming ceremonies I have ever had the privilege of participating in. The poignancy of the occasion and the grace and dignity by which it was conducted will forever be etched in my mind as the homefolks dutifully removed the dust of exhaustion from our minds, hearts, bodys and souls. It was the epitomy of aroha, compassion, respect, joy and humility.

I feel so honoured to have been able to partake of this journey. I am indebted to dear friends and family who made this possible. I am deeply grateful for the humble companions I had the honour of travelling with. I pay tribute to my dearest husband, Te Porohau, who held the mauri of this sacred of journeys with my sister Sandy. For without them this would not have been achievable. There were not three who journeyed through these lands, touched these sacred places, prayed and sang to honour the ancient ancestors, there were five, the perfect hand to make it happen.

E te Ao To the Universe

E te Ao Marama To the world of light and understanding

Me te aroha o te Ao It is with much love

Mo enei taonga For these gifts

E mihi nei, We give thanks

E mihi nei We give praise

E mihi nei We give grace.