Source: Te Mātāwai
Te Mātāwai is pleased to announce Erana Te Haeata Brewerton (Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Rakaipaaka, Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu) will join its Board as the Te Reo Tukutuku representative for the community sector.
Erana was appointed as a Manutea o Te Ataarangi after devoting over 40 years to the reo revitalisation movement. She’s also held leadership and governance roles at a national level in the adult community education sector.
Te Ataarangi was created in 1979 as a community-based Māori language recovery project and its immersion teaching approach predates kōhanga reo, kura kaupapa Māori, kura-a-iwi, and Māori tertiary institutions.
Te Mātāwai Hoa-Toihau Ruakiri Fairhall says Erana will be a valuable addition to the Board, having dedicated her career to strengthening te reo Māori and championing the communities in which it thrives.
“With a background in tertiary teaching and management, her work has focused on supporting Māori language-speaker communities, cultural identity, and intergenerational transmission across Aotearoa. She’s also worked with Māori communities living in Australia.
“Internationally, Erana has worked with other Indigenous peoples, including the Ainu Mosir of Japan, sharing knowledge and supporting language revitalisation initiatives where languages have been heavily impacted by assimilation,” he says.
Erana says she is honoured to represent the community sector on the Te Mātāwai Board because Te Ataarangi represents community-driven reo revitalisation.
“My dream is that te reo Māori thrives not only in formal settings but that everyone is raised in a multi-generational whānau of te reo Māori speakers and exposed to many communities of diverse interest where te reo Māori is commonplace. Kia kore koe e ngaro taku reo rangatira. Nā, kia nui te reo ōpaki o ia whakapaparanga hei tauawhiawhi i te reo ūkaipō,” she says.
Te Mātāwai Hoa-Toihau Mātai Smith extends the Board’s thanks to Teina Boasa-Dean for her service to Te Mātāwai as the Te Reo Tukutuku – Hapori representative since 2018.
“Teina has been a strong advocate for rangahau Māori, Te Taiao, and for reo Māori communities generally across Aotearoa. We appreciate her contribution to our Board, including as Chair of Komiti Rangahau and as a delegate to Taiwan for Indigenous languages research. E Teina, tēnā koe mō tō whakapau kaha ki te hāpai i te reo Māori. Ngā mihi maioha ki a koe,” he says.
Notes to Editor
Erana Brewerton is one of only four Manutea o Te Ataarangi appointed to this esteemed role.
Captions
Erana Brewerton.jpg – Photo of Te Mātāwai Board member Erana Te Haeata Brewerton (Whānau-a-Te Whakaohonga, Whānau-a-Takimoana, Whānau-a-Iritekura, Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Rakaipaaka, Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Kahungunu).