Awa’s Story
We come from just one of the seeds that were grafted and scattered, trying to connect to roots that have been shattered.
Photo by Fayette A. Reynolds, MS, via Flickr “Awa’s Story” follows several generations of mothers to trace a family line interrupted by white man’s indoctrination. At the center of the narrative is Awa, a Māori child who signifies the rupture — the estrangement from tradition and mother tongue — in ancestral connection. Interspersed with Māori words, this musical, mournful piece plays with language and pivots to English translations halfway through: Awa becomes River when she meets a white man.
Written by Hinemoa Jones and published in Ora Nui 4: Māori Literary Journal, “Awa’s Story” is a dolorous
