He wai! The place of waiata in extrapolating tūrangawaewae

How can waiata declare and perpetuate one’s belonging to place, to tūrangawaewae? Waiata are commonly performed at pōwhiri, following, and, in support of whaikōrero. Within this context, place is central to waiata. Its purpose is to complement the whaikōrero, ultimately expressing identity, broaching responsibility for, and the significance of place. Place in the form of tūrangawaewae, a place to stand, a purview of the use of language through waiata, contextualizes cultural identity through song.  This paper investigates the significance of waiata in how the performance of song extrapolates tūrangawaewae, and consequently how waiata can evoke cultural identity and why this is important to place. Consideration of the deeper meanings of waiata through its ability to refer to place, and because of this communicate the importance of place, are investigated through three select waiata.