Alaskan traces his Ma¯ ori name
Strong bond led to indigenous baby being named after language revival
An indigenous Alaskan man named after the Ma¯ ori language revival movement as a baby is hoping to learn more about his special name when he visits Aotearoa this month.
Martin Veiser was dubbed Te Ko¯ hanga Reo when he was 3 months old by a group of visiting Ma¯ ori at the 1987 World Conference on Indigenous Peoples Education in Canada.
His parents, Vera, an Athabaskan Indian, and Josh, took their baby son to the Vancouver convention.
The family knew little of Ma¯ori culture but in their hostel dormitory were 65 Ma¯ori people who welcomed the Veisers with open arms.
“We were told the dorm was full, but they said, ‘Of course there’s room, you’re staying with us’,” Josh Veiser said.
During the conference, a Ma¯ori woman named Tania Fitzpatrick breastfed Martin, as she could not bring her baby to Vancouver but wanted to keep her milk going. They developed a strong bond.
He was looked after by the Ma¯ori elders and Fitzpatrick throughout the conference, and eventually Josh Veiser asked the group to give Martin a Ma¯ori name.
The little Alaskan boy was called Te Ko¯hanga Reo, after the Ma¯ori language movement aimed at preschool-age children.
As Martin had been breastfed by a Ma¯ori woman there was a deep connection and he was considered Ma¯ori by the group, Veiser said.
“The entire Ma¯ori group took it really seriously and debated the name for over an hour. Like a baptism, a naming ceremony took place. It was a powerful moment.”
The name came when te reo Ma¯ori was experiencing a revival.
“In Alaska there have been similar issues with colonialism and repression of indigenous languages, so it was a very special name,” Veiser said.
It had sparked a special interest in Ma¯ori culture for the family.
“We had never met such spontaneous, joyful and articulate people. There are many similarities with indigenous Alaskan culture, the connection to the land and wildlife, and attitudes about ways of living, as displayed through songs, dances and artwork.”
In 1988, the young family travelled to Brisbane with the Eskimo Theatre Company and decided to visit their Ma¯ori friends in New Zealand.
At Auckland Airport more than 100 people turned out, greeting the family with powhiri and haka.
While Martin cannot recall the two-week journey, his mother and father remembered it fondly.
“We went all over the island in a chartered bus visiting different Ma¯ ori. It was an incredible experience,” Veiser said. “Everywhere we went, many gifts were showered upon Te Ko¯hanga Reo. It was almost embarrassing.
“How could a child from a world away be given such a name and showered with so much love? We were so honoured.”
The young family even met the Ma¯ori queen Te Atairangikaahu and Te Ko¯hanga Reo appeared on the front page of the Herald in October, 1988, held by his mother and Tania Fitzpatrick at Kokoinau Marae in Te Teko.
Henrietta Maxwell, of Te Ko¯ hanga Reo National Trust, said at the time: “We have rules and strict protocol on our marae, but that young fellow has broken every one of them and got away with it.”
Te Ko¯hanga Reo is returning to New Zealand tomorrow with his fiance Mary, and they will be travelling around the South Island. They hope to make contact with anybody who may remember him.
“I am hoping to meet Ma¯ ori people who gave me the name,” Martin Veiser said.
“I have only heard the story from my parents, I don’t really have a concept of how important the name is to the Ma¯ori people.
“I don’t know much about the culture either, and I am always wanting to learn more about everything,” he said.
Te Ko¯hanga Reo National Trust spokeswoman Tere Harrison said they were aware of stories about Te Ko¯ hanga Reo, and were reaching out to find kuia and kaumatua who may remember more about his story.
The entire Ma¯ ori group took it really seriously, and debated the name for over an hour. Josh Veiser