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Pūrakau is a fundamental methodology for distributing knowledge, values, protocols and worldviews.
Storytelling has been and still is a way of passing down knowledge and values across the world in all cultures.
"Pūrākau, a traditional form of Māori narrative, contains philosophical thought, epistemological constructs, cultural codes, and worldviews that are fundamental to our identity as Māori.
Pūrākau are a collection of traditional oral narratives that should not only be protected, but also understood as a pedagogical-based anthology of literature that are still relevant today.
Furthermore, pūrākau can continue to be constructed in various forms, contexts and media to better understand the experiences of our lives as Māori..."
Decolonising Māori narratives: Pūrākau as a method, Jenny Lee, 2009
Pūrākau are kōrero tuku iho (ancestral stories) that describe events of the past. The word pūrākau has often been translated as 'myths' or legends' but they are much more than that. Often they explain environmental phenomena such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions which have had a profound effect on the land. They are observations of scientific, environmental and human action over time. They tell us of mātauranga Māori - Māori knowledge and belief systems - which has been passed down through generations.
Every iwi and hapū have their own pūrākau. Some have the same stories as others but they are told from a different perspective. These varied versions are all valid, all authentic and we sould be aware that no single one is the 'one authentic voice'.
Some of these pūrākau are well-known and have been shared widely; published in books, made into videos, on websites and performed in waiata and haka. Others are kept safe within the iwi and hapū to whom they belong. If they are shared with you, you have a responsibility to take care of them and treasure them. The iwi who shared them may allow you to use them in school with tamariki, but other iwi or hapū may only wish to share them to support your understanding of the stories of mana whenua in your rohe and ask you not to share them more widely.
Those pūrākau that are in the 'public domain' are a great starting point for designing learning that is rich, relevant and cross-curricular. Which pūrākau do you know?
Read more here about the kōrero about Ranginui and Papatuānuku - Te Orokohanga o te Ao - The Māori Creation story, about Hine Titama, Hine nui te pō, and ngā kete o te mātauranga.
On Māori TV there is a series of short videos called Pūrākau which is a children's animated series of story time focused on Māori Myths and Legends. Check them out here.
DigitalNZ has a range of resources you can use to explore te ao Māori through pūrākau retold by various iwi (tribes) about the origins of time through atua Māori (Māori gods) and the historic travel sites visited by many tīpuna (ancestors) including Ranginui (Sky Father), Tāwhirimātea (God of the winds), Kupe and Māui.
Kiwa Digital have produced some amazing videos telling well-known pūrākau. I have included the first four that tell the creation story below.
Marcus Winter's 'Sand Stories' are a great way of introducing all ages to the well-known pūrākau. They won't play back in this site but the link to find his YouTube Channel is here.
He Paki Taonga i a Maui from Te Papa have a series of videos that tell some pūrākau. You can get the books in both te reo Māori and English. The videos are in te reo Māori with English subtitles. I have included a couple of them below
In this article from VictoriaNZTEC you will find more about the Maui pūrākau
Te Orokohanga o te Ao - The Creation Story
Te Orokohanga o te Ao - The Creation Story
Matariki
Matariki
Other Pūrākau
Other Pūrākau
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