Pacific Dynamics: Volume 4 Issue 1 March 2020 Journal of Interdisciplinary Research http://pacificdynamics.nz Ngā Whakaaro a Puhiwahine: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 A Political Philosophy ISSN: 2463-641X and Theory from the Mōteatea of Puhiwahine Hemopereki Simon * Waikato Institute of Technology Abstract Mōteatea are the orally sung literature and one of its most famous composers was Ngāti Tuwharetoa and Ngāti Maniapoto’s Puhiwahine. This paper will explore the political philosophy and theory contained within Puhiwahine’s waiata pakanga (war song) ‘Mā Wai Rā’ written for Ngāti Toa relations particularly their war leader, Te Rangihaeata. The observations from these forms of indigenous oral literature are based in a form of emerging indigenous philosophy called whakaaro based philosophy and method. Additionally, the author introduces a Kaupapa Māori Research method Marae ā-Rorohiko which outlines how social media, in particular Facebook, can be used as a form of group validity or qualitative data gathering. The analysis of the moteatea will focus on building a first person understanding of Māori philosophy and undestandings of mōteatea settler colonialism, colonisation and the centrality of mana and aroha in Māori society. It will reveal the that Puhiwahine had a deep understanding of Māori philosophy and what was to come from her people. It will also provide new understandings around the white possessive doctrine and mana motuhake. Keywords: Puhiwahine, Mōteatea, Whakaaro-based philosophy, Kaupapa Māori Research, Facebook research methods, indigenous philosophy, cultural memory, settler colonialism *Corresponding author: Hemopereki Simon,
[email protected] DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.18124/08er-ys75 Pacific Dynamics 4 (1) | 62 An Introduction – He Tīmatanga Kōrero I grew up hearing the waiata of a kuia who had a formidable reputation.