Te wiki o te reo Māori Guest editor Ruth Smith (Ngāti Kōhuru, Te Aitanga-ā-Mahaki)
Ruth Smith (Ngāti Kōhuru, Te Aitanga-ā-Mahaki)
When I was asked to share some thoughts for this year’s editorial, my mind immediately went to the revitalization of te reo Māori - and in all honesty, how could it not? It is, after all, September - the month that we celebrate our nation’s native language.
And just like Mahuru heralds the skies, language revitalization efforts herald across the land:
Mahuru Māori – a time in which speakers of te reo Māori are encouraged to speak Māori for the whole month in all of their daily dealings in effort to have the language seen, heard and spoken – is an initiative first championed by Ngāti Raukawa language exponent, Paraone Gloyne in 2014.
The release of Waiata Anthems – a collection of Aotearoa’s favourite songs by our most beloved bands and singers translated into te reo Māori – led by Dame Hinewehi Mohi with the expertise of Sir Tīmoti Kāretu and his band of merry translators.
And arguably the most important week for all reo Māori enthusiasts, that is; Māori Language Week - long celebrated by our nation. This year, it is especially significant as we commemorate 50 years since Hana Te Hemara and Ngā Tama Toa, presented their petition for te reo Māori before the Government of the day.
In highlighting these initiatives, we effectively bring te reo Māori to the forefront of peoples’ consciousness and let it be heard spoken and spoken about freely by the multitudes – whether it’s in praise or in criticism!
One quote that comes to mind is that of my ancestor, Te Kani-a-Takirau who said:
“He ihu tō mai nō te pō – pō tipu, ao rea”
Freely translating this, it means “Bring forth treasures from the darkness (past) so that they may grow to their full potential in the light (future)”. It tells a story of going back to move forward. Of shedding light on darkness. Of nurturing our taonga. We take the dormant treasures from the past, to feed and foster the present, which in turn, benefits the future.
Although Māori Language Week has long been celebrated in Aotearoa (for my whole lifetime, at least), I still cannot help but be surprised at it’s growth in such a short time because of the initial dedication of a committed few. It was, of course, from the Māori Language petition that Maori Language Day was born. Māori Language Day then became Māori Language Week. And now, after much effort by speakers of te reo Māori, both Māori and non-Māori alike, Māori Language Week has grown to span a whole month. Being a child that was immersed in the ‘kaupapa’, I’m not so surprised that these things are being celebrated – they are after all some of the most highly anticipated and beloved events on the dedicated reo groupies’ calendar – but rather, I feel exhilarated at the prospect that so many others treasure te reo Māori as part of the national identity – there couldn’t be a better indicator of value than this!
It’s been a long road to hoe to get to this point. This taonga has been taken from the darkness and nurtured in the light to blossom and grow. And who knows, perhaps the next logical step would be to have a Year for Te Reo Māori – at that point maybe we could finally assert, “Yes! The language is indeed alive and thriving!”
It’s been a long road to hoe to get to this point, and there is a long way to go yet.
One of the biggest take aways is that as a collective we can see that with a little care and respect, our taonga will flourish in the light. And we must remember that we all need to play our part – because by working together, we can maximise the spread, and the potential to touch pockets of the world yet to be explored by the language that could never ever have been fathomed by our forebears. It’s at this point, I would like to extend a warm and grateful mihi to Kete NZ, who had the idea and committed to rolling out this month’s reviews with an editorial in the native language of this land, and how honoured I am to have the opportunity to share some thoughts with all of our dedicated readers. I would like to conclude this editorial with a short whakaaraara, or chant, to inspire the language to soar to it’s heighest heights.
I bring forth Māori Language Week into the light
I bring forth Mahuru Māori into the light
I bring forth the people of Aotearoa into the light
I bring forth this edition into the light
I bring for the language, a gift from ancestors long lost into the light
A treasure reclaimed from the darkness
To be nurtured and fostered here in the light
To thrive!
