Mai te kore ki te ao mārmama. A journey from the darkness toward the light

Abstract

tauparapara) as a prism for an autoethnographic discovery of professional practice through professional epochs of my life. It also uses footnotes as a way of bringing my bilingual scope into this narrative, at the same time considering the needs of non-bilingual and international readers. Metaphors (whakataukï) feature as a lens through which to accentuate learnings gained from my professional journey from darkness or uncertainty toward elucidation. Metaphorical sayings are also expressions that ‘restory’ elements of my practice in parallel with ancestral genres in the Mäori world. “A Chant to Ancestral Landscapes” 9 was composed while studying for the Bachelor of Te Reo Mäori. The chant is a collection of vignettes of Ngäti Awa ancestors told in poetry and traditional sayings. Each parable is grounded in wisdoms of foremothers and forefathers and together serve as character and performance blueprints for ensuing generations. A selection of photoscapes (photographed landscape portraits) feature as an elaboration of the artistic and poetic imagery presented here in order to convey my distinctive ancestral essence to my Scope audience.