Melody Thomas with Mere Skerrett on top of Motupōhue/Bluff Hill Photo: Kahu Kutia
Me he manawā tītī, me tōhona hirika – The strength and perseverance of the tītī.
In this episode of He Kakano Ahau host and writer Kahu Kutia heads heads to the deep South and meets up with her former kōhanga reo teacher Mere Skerrett (Nō Kai Tahu, Kāti Mamoe) in the lead up to mutton bird season.
The practise of catching and storing of mutton bird is an expression of mahinga kai and whakapapa. Whaea Mere and Kahu drive around the local region, she remembers the annual trips her father took help out with mutton bird season, and recalls the stories he told her that when he was a child the tītī numbered in the thousands and was so plentiful that the sky would turn dark as they flew around.
Michael Skerritt Snr with his partner at Murihiku Marae. Photo: Kahu Kutia
The tītī is also a resilient bird as recalled in local history and whakatauki (proverbial sayings).
“Ko nga manu tītī ka whānau mai i konei, ka haere ki te whenua o hapani, ki te takatai moana ki taua waahi o te ao kia rapu kai, kātahi ka rere atu ki Chile kia whai hoa, katahi ka hoki mai ki konei kia whanau mai pēpi…kia puta mai nga heki ki konei…kātahi ka whānau mai.” she says.
(The tītī bird is born here, then it travels the vast oceans towards Japan, it flies to places like Chile to seek out a mate, then it returns here to breed.)
Whaea Mere shares the history and mātauranga associated with catching tītī, from the blossoming of certain flowers to the abundance of certain fish in the moana, all positive signs in the lead up to tītī season, Mere opens up about the local history and geography of the area with Kahu Kutia and they both head to Murihiku Marae where Mere’s uncle Michael Skerrett Senior shares his concern for the tītī bird caused by climate change.
Murihiku Marae. Photo: Kahu Kutia
To listen to the full episode of He Kakano Ahau Series 2 - Mahinga Kai click here.
