E tū tautoko noa

The waiata-ā-ringa ‘Tō Reo Karanga E’ was composed for the opening of the dining room at Mataura in the South Island in the mid-1980s. Ngoi’s hapū, Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare were invited and there were many reasons behind this. Many of Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare had left Tokomaru Bay and the East Coast to find employment, either to work in the freezing works industry or the shearing gangs. The closing of the freezing works in Tokomaru Bay from 1954 to 1955 left many people unemployed. So, many families decided to migrate south to seek employment in the industry with which they were familiar, and they settled in towns such as Mataura, Bluff and Invercargill. After Te Whānau-a-Ruataupare agreed to attend the opening, Ngoi then composed this waiata while having lunch in the kitchen during a hui at her marae, Pākirikiri. This is one of the last compositions she wrote before her death in 1985.

Tāmata Toiere would like to thank the Pēwhairangi Whānau Trust for their permission to share this waiata.The audio for this waiata was recorded by Ngoi's family at Pākirikiri marae, Tokomaru Bay originally for the CD which accompanies the biography on Ngoi. The waiata was mixed and edited at Mauria Mai Productions by Chub Renata.