“Kahungunu, kua aua atu e tāria ana kia huri mai koutou ki te reo, ā, kua huri mai koutou, me mihi i tērā āhua”. Nā Tīmoti Kāretu ēnei kupu nei i whakatakoto i tana kauhau ki te marea i tae ake ki Te Pō Tuku Tohu Reo Māori a Ngāti Kahungunu i tū ki Heretaunga i te 17 o ngā rā o Aperira 2015. Neke atu i te 500 ngā tāngata i tae atu ki te whakanui i ngā kaiwhiwhi o ngā tohu e 17. Whakamīharo kē atu ana ki te tokomaha i pōī atu i runga i te aroha nui ki te reo Māori ka tahi, me ōna Kahungunutanga ka rua.
I te tīmatanga o te pō, i maumaharatia ētahi o ngā tino toa o te reo Māori kua hinga i roto i ngā tau e rua mai i te pō tuku tohu reo tuatahi a Ngāti Kahungunu i te tau 2013. Ko ngā mea i whakamihia, ko Graeme Hunkin, hoa rangatira o Liz Hunkin, ko Marcia Matiaha, pou nō ngā kōhanga reo o te Wairarapa, Te Rūrere Rangihau, pou nō Te Ataarangi me Te Wānanga Whare Tapere o Takitimu i ōna wā, John Harmer, pou nō Te Whare Takiura o Te Aho a Māui, Materoa Haenga, pou nō Te Whare Takiura o Te Aho a Māui me ngā kura reo, tae noa ki te kuia pakeke nei o Ngāti Naho, kua aua atu e noho ana ki roto o Ngāti Kahungunu, a Wairukuruku (Tata) Maere. Ka tika kia āta whakamānawatia tēnei hunga nei, inā te nui o tā rātau whakapau i ō rātau kaha ki te reo Māori i te wā o te ora. Hai ōku rangatira, moe mai rā i te aunga o te moe.
I āta whakanuitia hoki ētahi atu tino toa o te reo, ā, i whakawhiwhia ngā tohu e toru ki ngā whānau o tēnei tokotoru nei: Tama Huata rātau ko Te Kēnana Wī Te Tau Huata, ko Apikara Rārere. Nō te Pēpuere o tēnei tau nei a Tama Huata i poroporoakitia ai, ā, i riro i a ia te tohu e kīia nei “Te Kete Aronui o Ngā Toi” hai whakamānawa i āna mahi hāpai toi Māori i roto i ngā tau toru tekau neke atu. I whakawhiwhia hoki ngā tohu e rua e kīia nei “Te Kuru Pounamu o Te Reo” ki ngā whānau o Apikara Rarere rāua ko Te Kēnana Wī Te Tau Huata. He pou a Apikara nō Te Reo Irirangi o Ngāti Kahungunu, ā, ko tōna reo kai te rangahautia hai tohu i ngā ‘Ngāti Kahungunutanga’ me ngā ‘Rongomaiwahinetanga’ o te reo Māori. Mō Wī Huata, kua tata te 25 ngā tau mai i tōna matenga, ka mutu kai te rangona tonutia āna whakatau-ā-kī, āna kupu, āna waiata, āna haka, āna mōteatea, āna tauparapara, āna karakia i runga i ngā marae maha o te iwi tae noa ki te ao whānui tonu. E mihi ana ki ngā whānau o te tokotoru nei i tae manomano mai ki te whakarangatira i ēnei whakawhiwhinga.
Kai hea mai tēnei kaupapa nei hai whakatiketike i tēnei hunga e noho ake nei hai iho pūmanawa mā te hunga e kaingākau ana ki te reo Māori. Tēnā rā koutou e kōrero nei, e whakamahi nei, e whakakake nei, e whakatairanga nei i tō tātau reo rangatira, mā tātau katoa ia e ora ai. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou katoa.
To know more about the winners, please click on the appropriate category.
Categories and winners
Te Whakaihuwaka o Te Reo Māori - Rōpata Hepi
Ngā Tohu Kaiwhakaako Reo Māori (Rūmaki Māori) - Georgina Kīngi
Ngā Tohu Kaiwhakaako Reo Māori (Auraki) - Marino Tiuka
Ngā Rōpū Whakaako i Te Reo Māori - Te Ūranga Waka (EIT)
Te Hapori Whānui - The Wairoa Star
Te Kaiwhakatairanga i Te Reo Māori - Pourerere Marae
Te Tira Hou o Te Reo Māori (Rangatahi) - Josh Rakatairi
Te Kete Aronui o Ngā Toi (Arts) - Tama Huata
Te Ahorangi o Te Kupu (Teacher) - Hīria Tūmoana
Te Tahito o Te Reo Māori (Tāne) - Enoka Munro
Te Tahito o Te Reo Māori (Wahine) - Naina Buxton
Te Kaikōkiri o Te Reo Māori - Pōrangahau Marae
Te Kahukura o Te Reo Māori - Rangihaereroa Te Rupe
Te Āwhiorangi o Te Reo Māori - Dr. Joseph Te Rito
Te Kuru Pounamu o Te Reo (Wahine) - Apikara Rarere
Te Kuru Pounamu o Te Reo (Tāne) - Canon Wi Te Tau Huata
The Wairoa Star
He kaha te tautoko a Te Wairoa Star i ngā kaupapa whakatairanga reo Māori. Ia rua wiki, tāngia ai te wāhanga reo Māori ‘Rui ruia’. Tāngia ai hoki te Ketuketu Kīwaha ia wiki. Kua roa rātau e tautoko ana i ngā mahi a Liz Hunkin i Te Wairoa, ā, ka tika kia whakawhiwhia rātau ki tēnei tohu mō rātau e whakaaro nui nei ki tō tātau reo taketake.