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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 37, Number 5. 3rd April 1974

Tihei Mauriora!

Tihei Mauriora!

Drawing of Maori design

Strange thing happened today
applied for a flat in Remuera
got knocked back
cause I'm a maori,
funny that!
Hell! I can't even speak the lingo
don't even know my maoritanga
whatever that is.
Once I spoke Maori
but the teacher strapped me
and made me learn pakeha so hard
and respect pakeha so hard
and be like a pakeha so hard,
I'm real good at it now
got papers to prove it too
yet I still couldn't get this flat
cause I'm a maori
funny that!
I should've bowled that landlord
but I'd have gone to Paremoremo
buggar that!
that's where lots've maoris go.
Funny that!
I'd go back to my marae
If I knew where it was
and prove, I'm not
an Uncle Tom.
Aue!
I wish those pakehas
would make their minds up
about who I belong to
that's the worse of being half 'n' half,
the pakeha half is always
getting the maori half in trouble
funny that!
In my next reincarnation
I'm coming back
as a full blooded maori,
that'll scare the tutai
out of all those
pakeha staticians
I'm going to Ponsonby tomorrow
gonna get another flat,
this time,
I'm gonna be a Samoan
Tihei Mauriora!
whatever that means.

Na Henare Dewes