Tūtūmaiao

Text note

Ariana Tikao and Ruby Solly both contributed to the lyrics, Ariana borrowing from an ancient waiata quoted in the book ‘Tikao Talks’, by her pōua Teone Taare Tikao. These words tell of Tūtūmaiao being the name of an ancient battle in “one of the Hawaikis”, while a different meaning of Tūtūmaiao defines it as the Aurora Australis.

Of her contribution to the lyrics, Ruby Solly writes, “My lyrics are a tribute to kōrero from Kāi Tahu Whānui about how our people are like the tītī birds, migrating and travelling around the world, but always coming back to our spiritual homeland of Te Waipounamu.”