“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
Josh Rakatairi
Ko Puketapu me Tongariro ngā maunga,
Ko Tūtaekurī me Rangitikei ngā awa,
Ko Takitimu me Te Arawa ngā waka,
Ko Hinepare me Ngāti Pikiahuwaewae ngā hapū,
Ko Moteo me Te Tikanga ki Tokorangi ngā marae,
Ko Kahungunu me Ngāti Tūwharetoa ngā iwi.
He rite tonu te haere a Josh ki ngā kaupapa whakapakari reo pēnei i ngā kura reo. He nui tana tautoko i ngā kaupapa whakapiki reo a Ngāti Kahungunu. Ko ia tētahi o ngā kaikōkiri o tana rōpū e kīia nei, Te Tira Hou. Kai te kaha te kipakipa a Josh i tana hapori kia aro nui mai rātau ki tō tātau reo. He kairangahau hoki a Josh i ngā Ngāti Kahungunutanga o te reo Māori.