Kohatutaka

as told to my mum by her dad

News came to the chief that his son was being hunted

the hunters were not far away

the chief said to his son

stand by the fire

stand in this position

when those who hunt you, arrive

we will throw large stones on the fire

be ready, for when I clap, run!

the hunters near

the chief orders the dumping of the stones on the fire

this causes much ash and smoke to rise from the pit

so much, that the chief can no longer see his son

standing beside the fire...

the chief claps his hands

the son turns and runs under the cover of the smoke

escaping his would be captors

Kohatutaka – the dumping of the stones

disclaimer: I do not validate this korero as the correct version,

but for me, it is how it was told and thus passed down

through three generations.

My epiphany:

Having recently attended a wananga

I was shown how to use the 'kohatu' to ease a pressure point

I was enamoured by the kohatu used that day

lovely rounded base, smooth, slightly dark

and decided that I was going to search out a kohatu for me

over the past week I've been committing my pepeha to mind,

and Kohatutaka is my tupuna and hapu

well, whilst having a korero with IO this morning

I kept seeing these 'big as' hangi stones being dumped into a fire

the sparks were flying....

I look closer and one stone in particular starts to draw me in

it looked round, smooth and slightly dark.....

I korero about other things with IO then say my goodbyes....

I'm now at the table and I take my first mouthful of food

and my epiphany appears:

I don't have to search for a kohatu

to use as a healing tool in my mahi

for 'I am' the kohatu

the kohatu is within me

the kohatu is my tupuna