Tia Reweti, Te Reo Māori Student 02.10.22

E piki ana ahau ki te tihi o tōku maunga ko Whitireia, ka titiro iho ki tōku moana e kārohirohi ana ko te Raukawa, e tūtaki ana ngā ngaru ki te waha o te Rangitikei. Ka haere ake nei te waka o Tainui kei runga. Ko Parewahawaha te marae e pupuri tonu ana i te ahikā o Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga. Kei konei hoki ngā uri o Puhiwāhine. He uri tēnei nō Ngāti Raukawa, Tainui hoki. Tihei mauri ora.

(This will not be translated as it is my pepeha and I wish for it to remain in te reo.)

Ko Te Raunatia Reweti tōku ingoa (Ko Tia tōku ingoa poto). He tauira tēnei i te timatanga o tōku haerenga ki te ako i Te Reo Māori. I te wā i pātai mai a Ruby ki au e pā ana ki tēnei kaupapa, he ahua mataku ahau ki te waihanga i tēnei tuhingaroa. Ehara tōku reo kei te tihi o ngā tihi. He pēpi tonu tōku arero, he pēpi tonu tōku reo. Engari, koinei wero, he wero pai hei whakanuia te haerenga o te ako i to tātou nei reo.

My name is Te Raunatia Reweti (Tia for short). I am a student at the start of her journey learning Te Reo Māori. When Ruby initially approached me about this initiative I was fearful to write this article. It must be said, I am in no way proficient. I am still a beginner. However, the best way to learn, especially te reo, is to just take up the challenge.

I te timatanga i tērā tau, tē taea e au te kōrero Māori. Ka taea e au te mōhio i ētahi kupu Māori… “kia ora”, “kei te pēhea koe”, “kei te pai”... ērā momo. Engari, mēnā ka haere tōku whānau ki te marae mō ētahi kaupapa, he tino whakamā ahau nā te iti o tōku reo. He kare-a-roto tēnā e mōhio kē ana o ētahi “urban Māori” me kī. E noho ana au i te whakamā o te kore reo i tōku whakatipuranga. Kei te hiahia ahau ki te kōrero ki tōku kuia, kei te pīrangi ahau hei whakamārama i ngā kōrero a ngā kaumātua o te marae. Kei te wawata ahau ki te kōrero Māori ki āku tamariki a tōnā wā. E mokemoke ana tōku ngākau i Te Reo Māori. Nō reira, i te wā i haere mai te mate korona ki Aotearoa, ka oho tērā hiahia anō. I tūtaki tētahi hoa 2020, I ako ia kei Te Wānanga Takiura i te tau 2019. I rongo au ki tana pīatata tana menemene, kua kī tōnā ngākau nā tana ū ki te ako i Te Reo Māori. Nō reira, i muri i tēnā, i whakaaro au, mēnā ka taea e ōku hoa ki te ako i Te Reo Māori, ka taea e au hoki.

At the start of last year, I could not even attempt to speak te reo. I could understand a few words/phrases… “kia ora”, “kei te pēhea koe”, “kei te pai”, you know the vibes. However, in times when my family would go to the marae, I felt extremely embarrassed and shy about the fact that I could not speak my own language. It’s a feeling I know many “urban Māori” are familiar with. I sat in my shyness over my lack of te reo as I grew older. All I wanted was to talk to my nan in our own language. All I yearned for was to understand our elders/leaders of the marae. All I dreamt of was having the ability to speak to my own children in my own language one day. My heart felt empty without my reo. So, when COVID made its way to Aotearoa, I took matters into my own hands. That yearning for my language was awoken within me again and I realised that if my friends could learn to speak, then so could I. I met a friend in 2020 who had attended Te Wānanga Takiura in 2019. I could see her smile was brighter, her heart was full due to her journey learning the reo. It was after that experience I decided, if she can do it, then so can I.

Koira te tīmatanga o taku haerenga. I haere au ki Te Wānanga Takiura o ngā kura kaupapa Māori i tērā tau. He wheako harikoa, he wheako pouri, he wheako tino hirahira ki tōku oranga, mō ake tonu. Koira te timatanga o tōku haerenga ki te ako i Te Reo Māori. Mōku ake nei, ehara tēnei i te mutunga. He mutunga kore te ako i Te Reo Māori, koira te ātaahuatanga me to uauatanga o tērā haerenga. Ko tēnei haerenga pērā ki ngā ngaru o Tangaroa. Nau mai ngā piki, me ngā heke o te ako. I roto i tēnā, ka puta anō te mamae o Ngāi Māori. E rongo ana koe ki te tāmitanga e pā ana tātou inaia tonu nei.

And so that’s where my journey began. I attended Te Wānanga Takiura at the start of last year. It was a happy, sad, and forever life changing experience. But again, that is only the beginning of my journey to learning Te Reo Māori. To me, this journey is never ending. That is both the beauty and hardship of learning this language. Learning Te Reo Māori is a lot like riding the waves of the ocean, there are highs and lows. Peaks and falls. Within that you are also able to explore those pains that have affected us as Māori such as colonisation/generational trauma which continue to affect us to this day.

I tōku tamarikitanga, i maumahara au, he tino iti te whakanui o ngā mea māori. He tino “rerekē” koe mēnā e whakaae ana ki ngā mea māori. Engari, i tēnei wā e tirohia ana au ngā mea māori i runga i te Pukamata, i te Paeāhua, i ngā pouaka whakaata, i ngā pānui, i ngā hākinakina, i ngā pākihi. Ehara koe i te “rerekē” menā e whakaae ana, e whakanui ana koe i te Māoritanga. He tangata kauanuanu koe mēnā ka taea e koe te kōrero māori. He pākihi kauanuanu tānā mēnā ka whakanui, ka arotahi i ngā mea māori. Heoi, mōku ake nei, ehara tēnei i te “trend” noa iho. He takutakutanga te haere? Ehara tēnā.

When I was growing up, I remember only seeing very few instances of the celebration of Māori matters. You were often seen as “different” even “unusual” if you did in fact approve of such Māori things. However, in this day and age I see Māori initiatives being celebrated across social media, television, advertisements, sports, businesses. You’re no longer seen as “different” if you are someone who celebrates Māori-ness. You’re in fact revered/admired now if you can speak te reo. However, to me, my culture is not just a trend.

Otira, he pai tēnā ki au mēnā kei te hiahia rātou ki te whakanui i ngā mea māori, koira tētahi ara ki to tātou nei Mana Motuhake. Arā, e mau tonu ana rātou ki ngā tikanga māori. He pai hoki te whakanuia o ngā mea māori, atu i te wiki o Te Reo Māori. Me kōrero atu. Me whakanui. Me whakarongo ki to tātou nei hapori. Koira te mea nui ki au, whakarongo mai ki Ngāi Māori, kei te mōhio kē tātou te ara tika mō Ngāi Māori, mai i Ngāi Māōri.

Overall, it’s absolutely fine if people want to celebrate our culture, that is how we continue our path to independence and freedom as Māori. But, those same people must also imbue their celebrations with tikanga māori. It’s also good to perhaps continue to celebrate Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori beyond just the one week. Continue to speak, continue to celebrate, and continue listening to our community. That is the most important thing I believe anyone celebrating our culture can do, listen to our people. We know what the right path is for us, and the right path for us must come from us too.

Written by Tia Reweti