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Māori Storytelling Traditions

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Māori Storytelling Traditions

Read the passage before answering. Māori pūrākau have different versions and meanings across iwi and whānau. The passage below is a brief classroom retelling of a well-known story, not a definitive version. Use evidence from the passage in your answers.

A pūrākau retold: Māui and the sun

In one well-known pūrākau, the sun travelled so quickly across the sky that people had too little daylight to finish their work. Māui listened to the concerns of his whānau and thought carefully about what might help. He and his brothers made strong ropes and travelled to where the sun rose. When the sun appeared, they used the ropes to slow its journey. The longer days gave people more time for their daily tasks. This retelling is short; tellings of the story vary. Pūrākau are more than entertainment: they can carry knowledge, values, and connections to place and ancestry. Whakapapa refers to relationships and lines of connection, including those between people, ancestors, and the natural world. Kōrero means talk, speech, or story, depending on context. Stories shared aloud can change in wording and emphasis with each teller and audience. Listening, asking who a story comes from, and respecting the people and knowledge connected to it are important.

Read closely

Use details from the passage to explain your thinking.

1.Which word from the passage means relationships and lines of connection, including connections to ancestors and the natural world?

Kōrero
Whakapapa
Whānau
Pūrākau

2.What problem were people facing before Māui acted? Answer in one sentence.

3.Number these events from 1 to 3 in the order they happen in the retelling: Māui and his brothers use ropes to slow the sun; Māui listens to his whānau; they travel to where the sun rose.

4.Choose one trait that best describes Māui in this retelling, then give one piece of evidence: thoughtful, careless, or impatient.

5.The passage says that every iwi tells the story of Māui and the sun in exactly the same way.

TrueFalse

6.Complete the sentence using a word from the passage: Stories shared aloud can change in wording and with each teller and audience.

7.According to the passage, pūrākau can do more than entertain. Name two other things they can carry.

8.Match each term to its meaning as explained in the passage.

Pūrākau
Whakapapa
Kōrero

Relationships and lines of connection
Traditional stories that can carry knowledge and values
Talk, speech, or story, depending on context

9.A friend asks why it matters to find out who a story comes from. Give one reason supported by the passage.

10.The passage says a story may change in wording or emphasis when it is shared aloud. Explain one way a teller might change the emphasis for a particular audience, without changing the main events.

11.The longer daylight helped people finish their tasks. What cause-and-effect connection does this show? Write your answer using “because” or “so”.

12.Write one thoughtful question you could ask a knowledgeable storyteller about a pūrākau. It should invite learning and show respect for different versions.

Sketch one moment from the retelling that shows a cause and its result. Add two labels from the passage, such as “ropes”, “sun”, “daylight”, or “whānau”.