Nick’s Kōrero

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Nick’s Kōrero

Kia ora koutou,

We have had a very “eventful” start for Te Wiki o te Teo Māori.  On Sunday around 60 whānau attended the launch of our language and cultural revitalisation strategy Tangata Rau, Reo Kotahi.  Our special guests Scotty and Stacey Morrison spoke about their reo journey together with their whānau and how they use te reo in their home. They recommend keeping reo both relevant, useful and entertaining. One example, “Koia I hi, Nāna I ha”, a translation of “whoever smelt it, dealt it” is a saying heard often in my family and one I won’t easily forget.  Their presentation was both entertaining and thought provoking with many practical recommendations on how we can move forward with the revitalisation of te reo Māori.

Last night we had “Fush & Chip Night” at Ūkaipō with Anton Matthews and his whānau and crew from “Fush” in Ōtautahi. Along with fish, chicken and chips, Anton presented lessons on basic reo and pronunciation.  Despite a minor glitch with the “Little Fush Waka” (Fish & Chip Truck), it was a highly successful night with amazing kai and all of our guests left well fed, happy and energised about reo.  Anton is a remarkable speaker and was able to draw in a large and diverse group.  Everyone left excited by the potential and the difference te reo can make to ourselves and how this will differentiate us from the rest of the world. Attempting correct pronunciation of names and basic words is the first part of this journey.

I would like to acknowledge three very important people this weekend.  Both of these events were driven by Trustee Jeremy Tātere Macleod and would not have happened without his vision.  Jeremy was, unfortunately, unable to attend because of family health issues, our thoughts are with him and his whānau.  Kylie Nepia delivered the mihimihi and karakia at both events with his usual panache and expertise.  His whānau were wonderful and we are very grateful for their contribution.   Trustee Janis de Thierry was the MC on Sunday at the Tangata Rau, Reo Kotahi launch and along with her supportive whānau made this a great success.  Her kōrero on the reasons why te reo is important to her whānau was very inspiring.

We will be finishing off the week on Friday with Te Pātaka o Wairau Māori Night Market at Seymour Square from 4pm until 9pm. This will be an evening filled with entertainment, kapa haka performances, tamoko, taonga, kai and Māori craft stalls. We are expecting a high of around 20 degrees so bring a blanket to sit on with your whānau and enjoy the night. We hope to see you there.

Kia pai to ra wiki,

Nick.

By |2018-09-11T13:40:40+12:00September 11th, 2018|Categories: Iwi, Pānui|0 Comments