The Story of the Albatross Feather
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For me, the albatross feather represents balance. This came about after I interviewed a Maori Kuia (elder) who was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. She is an amazing, inspiring woman who told me this: "When
I talk about families and the strength of families, I remember one
of my old aunties in the Hawkes Bay, she always likened it to the
albatross. You can't sly on one wing. The albatross can't take off
with one wing, it needs to take off with two wings and the body in
between. I've used that in many terms, in that you must be connected
and working together. The two wings are the caregivers of the children
and the body is the children. You must keep tight the whanau [family]
unity." The albatross is also known as the guardian of sailors as is illustrated in the poem “The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It guides the sailors through dangerous waters only to be shot at in the end. In fact 19 of the 21 species of albatross are threatened by extinction . This is largely due to long line fishing which the albatross gets caught up in. For more information look at www.savethealbatross.net. Both the albatross and huia feather series of works illustrate the importance of preserving our environment and highlight our roles as caretakers of the land. |