A Tangata Turi whakapapa ki Ōtautahi How a staunch wahine of Scottish and Te Aitanga a Māhaki whakapapa became mother to the Deaf community in Ōtautahi and triggered a robust kōrero about Tangata Turi within Ngāi Tahu. Kaituhi ARIELLE KAUAEROA learns more.
margaret duncan was born in te tai rāwhiti to parents archie and Laura Duncan and, as a baby, was struck by scarlet fever. At a time when antibiotics were not readily available, she was lucky to survive, but was left profoundly Deaf. Yet to describe her Deafness as a loss seems at odds with the proud woman who became known for her work bringing so much gain to the Deaf community of Aotearoa. Although Margaret began mainstream schooling in Gisborne, it wasn’t long before the entire Duncan family travelled to Ōtautahi so their pōtiki could attend the only School for the Deaf in the country. To relocate a family in the 1930s, not only across the country but to another island, was an incredible feat – one driven by the desire of loving parents for their daughter to access education. Margaret often shared with daughter Karen that it was her mother and grandmother, Laura and Jemina, who ensured she always had an active place in the family. With so little support for parents of Deaf children in those days, Laura’s ability to include her youngest child in family affairs undoubtedly shaped Margaret’s role as a giant in the Deaf world. Haamiora Samuel Te Maari (Sam) attests to this. As a young Deaf Māori man, watching Margaret move in the world of the Deaf and hearing was awe-inspiring. “She was Māori, and she was our leader, a great leader. Her mum, [pointing to Karen], she always got everyone together, she always brought us in. We loved her beyond belief.” Sam (Ōnuku, Wairewa, Koukourarata) is using New Zealand Sign Language and Karen is interpreting for us. “Her mum was something else, she was so successful, and we couldn’t understand how she did it. But she always made us believe we could do it too.” Margaret’s path intersected with Ngāi Tahu when she met the love of her life, Morris Coutts, at the Deanes clothing company where they both worked in Christchurch. Recently returned from active service in Egypt and Italy, Deafness was no barrier for Morris (Moeraki, Awarua, Waihao, Ngāi Tūāhuriri). They married in 1948 and, as parents of three hearing daughters, the Ngāi Tahu tāne and Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki wahine raised their whānau predominantly in the Deaf world. 48 ı TE KARAKA
Above: Margaret and Morris Coutts were dedicated to the Deaf community of Aotearoa. PHOTOGRAPH: SUPPLIED Right: Haamiora (Sam) Te Maari in kōrero with Karen Coutts at his old stomping ground, formerly known as the Sumner School for the Deaf and van Asch College. PHOTOGRAPHS: ARIELLE KAUAEROA
Margaret became the first woman and Māori president of the Christchurch Deaf Club, co-founded the Deaf Women’s Group and Deaf Aotearoa, and championed for Deaf rights, including being recognised as a cultural and linguistic group, for improvements to Deaf education and social access. Her main love was Deaf sports, which she was actively involved in, and frequently represented the New Zealand Deaf Sports Association at international congresses. In 1990, she was recognised with the New Zealand Commemoration Medal. Morris, always in support, was awarded the Companion of the Queen’s Service Order for services to the Deaf community in 1982. At the birth of their first baby he had a flashing light alarm invented so Margaret could be alerted when their pēpi cried; he established the Christchurch Relay Service for Deaf people and helped to establish the New Zealand Deaf Sports Association. He was also the main planner to win the bid and organise the Christchurch World Games for the Deaf in 1989. Margaret survived Morris by 31 years, continuing their shared mahi for many of those before transitioning into the realm of Hine-nuite-pō herself in 2017, just before her 90th birthday.