First Māori Language Commissioner impressed by younger generation’s reo

Source: Radio New Zealand

Te reo speakers of all levels and stripes gathered in Hastings on Thursday for Toitū te Reo.

The two-day Māori language symposium attracted several thousand people to celebrate, with zones catering for beginners through to experts with the hope of welcoming more speakers on to the waka.

One of the many guests of honour was Sir Timoti Kāretu, who perhaps more than anyone else has seen more of the ups and downs of te reo Māori as the first Māori Language Commissioner, a famed kapa haka composer and one of the founders of Te Panekiretanga o te Reo the Institute of Excellence in Māori Language.

Now in his late 80s, Kāretu had inspired fear in countless students with his philosophy of “ma te hē ka tika” – learning comes through errors.

“Engari kaua e mataku ki te kōrero, ki te mataku koe e kore au e mōhio pēhea rā tō reo. Nā te mea ka taea e au te āwhina, mena kei te kōrero ka hapa, waiho kia mutu tō kōrero ka noho tāua ki te kōrero ki te whiriwhiri he aha ngā mea i hē, me pēnei te whakatika me pērā te whakatika, engari tukuna te tangata kia kōrero.”

While he was famous for his high standards, Kāretu said it is good to show some aroha to te reo beginners, but they would need to turn to speak only in te reo at some point.

But, he said he was impressed by the amount of reo coming from younger generations of Māori.

“I au e mātakitaki ana i ngā mahi haka i tērā atu wiki i āhua tumeke ahau i te pai o te reo o ētahi o ngā tamariki pakupaku e kōrero ana… i te pātaihia atu ana e whakautu Māori mai ana me taku whakamiharo i te pai o te reo, nō reira he tohu pai tēnei.”

Festival founder and director Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod said Toitū te Reo was a dream of Kāretu’s, even though he may not agree with how everything was run.

Going into a te reo only space was a very daunting thing, MacLeod said.

Learners needed to find their own way to overcome the whakamā, the shame of speaking te reo, but Toitū te Reo could offer some inspiration, he said.

“As I sit here and look across at the City Fitness gym which gives me intense anxieties the thought of going in there and the pain it’s going to take, but it’s about trying to create that welcoming space where we can all come together and those who are in the beginning stages of their journey can take something away.”

The festival was divided into two zones – Rangimamao entirely in te reo and Pūmotomoto entirely in English. MacLeod told RNZ that allowed people to participate regardless of their level of language.

Even non-speakers play a huge part in championing the language, he said.

“The future of the language rests with everyone regardless of your level of proficiency and language champions come in all shapes and sizes and some of those people that championed the language back in the initial stages of the renaissance in the 70s weren’t speakers of the language but they were prepared to die for the language.

Te reo advocate Leon Blake was leading a session on the evergreen topic of the A and O categories of te reo, two small letters that can be a big hōhā for learners.

The zones were a great addition to the festival because it allowed those still getting used to te reo to understand all the kōrero, he said.

“Kia kaha tātau i roto i ngā piki me ngā heke o te wā, ahakoa ngā raruraru o tēnei wā, koira te ātaahua o tēnei kaupapa, ko tēnei kaupapa kei te whakakotahi i a tātau ko to tātau reo te taura here i a tātau kia kotahi ai tātau i tēnei wā.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand