Celebrating Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori: Taane

Ka tangi te ngahere Ko Te Warawara i waonui a Taane
Ka tangi nga ngaru o Hokianga 
Ngaru nui
Ngaru roa
Ngaru paewhenua
Ka tangi hoki ahau
Tihei mauri ora!

Ko Panguru te maunga
Ko Te Waiariki me Te Rarawa nga iwi
Ko Te Wai Puna me Waimirirangi nga marae
Ko Whakarapa me Waihou nga awa
Ko Hokianga te moana tapu

Tena koutou nga karangamaha I tautokongia te kaupapa o te wa ki te korero te reo Māori. Ko te reo te tino ara ki te marama te hohonutanga o te tikanga a nga iwi o te Ao. Ka mohio koe te reo Māori ka mohio koe te tangata Māori me ona tikanga.

Above: Customs' Kaumatua Dolly (left) and  Kaumatua Bobby (middle), and Taane (right).

Nā te aha koe i ako ai te reo Māori? Why did you decide to learn te reo Māori?

He Rangatira toku papa, Ko tona reo tuatahi ko te reo Māori. Ko ahau nahe tetahi o ana tamariki I mohio ana tona reo. He mea nui ki ahau ki te ako te reo Māori  na te mea mena ka mate  toku papa ka mate te reo me te te tikanga Māori o toku whanau. Aini ka korero Māori ahau, aku tamariki me aku mokopuna. Hari toku ngakau e kore e ngaro te reo Māori I roto I te whanau.

My dad is the remaining leader and elder of our family. His first language is Māori language. I am the only one of his children that knows his Māori language. This is important to me, for if Dad was to pass, the language and customs of his culture would be lost within our whānau. Now, I can speak Māori as well as my children and grandchildren. My heart feels happy and satisfied that the Māori side of my whānau will never be lost.

Ki ō whakaaro, he aha ngā take nui e ora ai te reo Māori? What are the main issues you feel facing the survival of the Māori language?

Ko te reo Māori te reo tuatahi o tenei whenua. Ko matou I tupu ake I mua I nga tau rua mano na te pumaha matauranga I whakakorehia te hitori pono o te motu nei. Ko ratou me kaha ki te whakatika, whakamahi me whakamana I te reo tuturu o te motu kia anga ki mua me whakaora tatou katoa.

Māori is the first language of this land, and one of the official languages of the country.

The pre-millennium population who, through the education system, have been denied the true history of this land. It is this population that needs to make an effort in correcting and using the official language of the country to move forward and heal as people, as New Zealanders. 

He aha te mea nui i ngakau nui i te reo? What are you passionate about in te reo Māori?

Ma te reo Māori ahau I ako, e awhi ki te whakaputa I taku ake tuakiri me toku tapu. Ka tukuna ana mai he matauranga tuturu o te ao kia ahei ana ahau ki te tu pakari ki te tu rangatira hei tangata whenua o Aotearoa me te ao whanui.

Te reo Māori teaches me and aids me in expressing my true self. It provides me with an academic and intellectual understanding of the world that allows me to stand strong and proud as an indigenous person in Aotearoa and the world.

He aha ngā mea painga o te wiki o te reo Māori ki a koe ? What does Te Wiki o te reo Māori mean for you?

He tohu te wiki o te reo Māori ki ahau, He tohu o te nekehanga whakamiharo ki te angaanga ki mua to tatou kotahitanga. He tohu awhi mo te whakaora o tatou motu whanui ko Aotearoa. Ka tangi ka kanikani toku manawa I te harihari ina I rongo ahau ki wetahi atu I mahia Te Reo Māori ki te whakawhiwhiti korero me te whakahua tika o tatou reo.  Ka whakahauhaungia e ahau ki a koutou I whakatupu ake tatou kakano reo kia whai tonu ake tona tupu. 

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori signals a wonderful shift in where our country is heading towards oneness. It helps in healing our nation. It makes my heart sing when I hear others using Māori language in communication and pronouncing our language properly. I encourage all to make that seed grow and continue to follow its growth.