Someone thoughtfully posted this powerful performance to me on my Facebook page, ‘The Buried Doctrine’. (Click on the YouTube link to hear and see the Leonessa Choir)
I simply want to share it passing it across communities.
Check out the incredible, viral performance by Leonessa, an all female choir from (@TakapunaGrammarSchool) in New Zealand. They won a National award at The Big Sing for their powerful rendition of the Maori action song, Te Iwi E – (Composer – Ngapo Wehi)
Why it resonates so deeply:
While “Te Iwi E” is traditionally a Māori song of welcome, its lyrics call on people to “bring with you the memories of all our dead” and acknowledge “the many tears spilling forth nation-wide.”
It is no wonder this performance is being shared heavily (gaining 1.5 million views) some amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The universal themes of mourning historical trauma, honoring the lost, and preserving indigenous language speak directly to shared experiences of resilience across the region.
Watch the incredible unity, pride, and emotion in their actions and voices! 👇
https://share.google/2gpyEQ2PNqh2WX2rU
Translation (SCRIBD)
Our tribe is calling out to the people who have just set foot on this marae.
Bring with you the memories of all our dead
and so many tears spilling forth nationwide.
Look at our people working across the land
spread out far and wide.
Shaking is the ground, quivering is the sea
Oh, the love and the pain within me.
The ground shakes and quivers, yeah!
GJ Mann
website: gjmann.org
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