Pupils celebrate te reo Maori
A group of year 6, 7 and 8 pupils from Palmerston North’s Roslyn School have put pen to paper to write about why te reo Maori is important to them and why they believe it’s important to all New Zealanders.
Taleyah Ngataiholloway, 13
There are three official languages spoken in New Zealand: New Zealand English, New Zealand sign language and te reo Ma¯ ori.
The majority of the New Zealand population speak English.
Some people think that Ma¯ ori Language Week is useless but it’s really important to promote Ma¯ ori culture.
Te Wiki o Te Reo Ma¯ ori is a week where New Zealanders celebrate our unique language te reo Ma¯ ori.
I think it would be very good if more people started to speak or start to learn te reo Ma¯ ori and use it in everyday life.
Something as simple as saying kia ora. It is a very small phrase but holds a lot of meaning.
We can also celebrate traditions such as Matariki and Waitangi Day.
I also think it is good to learn te reo Ma¯ ori at school because eventually we will all learn more and more as time goes on.
Ka mate kainga tahi, ka ora kainga rua. There is more than one way to achieve an objective.
Malachi Ponga, 11
If everyone spoke the same language it would be a boring world because there wouldn’t be any diversity.
If our country didn’t have Ma¯ ori culture then we as Ma¯ ori wouldn’t have our own identity.
I wouldn’t like it if we had to speak one language like English because we have our own language te reo Ma¯ ori.
In the future, I would like more te reo getting brought into schools.
Kapa haka is a good thing for people because you get to learn Ma¯ ori.
I am proud to be Ma¯ ori because I have a cool language.
Naku te rourou nau te rourou ka ora ai te iwi.
Karlisa Samuels, 12
Imagine this ... not a single word of te reo Ma¯ ori spoken.
No kapa haka or such thing as Ma¯ ori kura.
No marae or pukana and no history of Ma¯ ori culture or language, except for the fact that Ma¯ ori forgot about being Ma¯ ori.
The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 and was supposed to help pa¯ keha¯ and Ma¯ ori share the land equally.
But as time passed Ma¯ ori were forgetting their culture.
This went by for years and it was getting stronger and stronger. Fights came and went.
Then finally, Ma¯ ori came back alive.
Kura o kaupapa opened up. Students decided to learn Ma¯ ori, not just because Ma¯ ori and pa¯ keha¯ are equal but also because of the history and the culture.
Taniwaka Marsh, 13
Te reo Ma¯ ori is a part of who we are.
Celebrating Te Wiki o te reo Ma¯ ori is very special to Ma¯ ori people as it shows people how unique Ma¯ ori culture is.
I am very proud to be a Ma¯ ori, it’s who I am and who I want to be.
I would love to learn more about the history of Ma¯ ori and how we became who we are today.
I’d like for others to start learning just the basics of Ma¯ ori because it’s about our country and we shouldn’t be afraid to show people our culture and the special things about it.
Ko taku reo taku ohooho, ko taku reo taku mapihi mauria.
Shiquana Cunningham, 11
Te reo Ma¯ ori to me is mana and kaha and everything special to me.
Other people think that te reo Ma¯ ori week is only for Ma¯ ori and only they should be the one to celebrate not other people.
My thought is that’s rude and everyone should be able to talk Ma¯ ori not just us.
People shouldn’t feel scared, it’s a native culture to us.
People who talk Ma¯ ori make me proud and strong and confident to speak my language.
What I think about my own culture is beautiful and it makes me happy speaking my own language.
Jayde Noble, 12
Ma¯ ori language week (Te Wiki o Te Reo Ma¯ ori) is about the people who are helping to keep our culture alive and the ones carrying the mana.
Te reo Ma¯ ori means a lot to me, culture and language-wise, because in my eyes it represents our wha¯ nau and our heritage and ancestors.
Ko taku reo taku ohooho ko taku reo taku mapihi mauria… My language is my awakening, my language is the window to my soul.
I would encourage everyone, Ma¯ ori or not, to participate and learn te reo Ma¯ ori to help keep our language strong and bold.
Pare Pere, 11
Some people think that Ma¯ ori week is useless but I’m going to prove them wrong.
Te reo is a great language. It gives me mana and the strength to learn more.
Everyone should learn te reo Ma¯ ori because it’s our culture and it will bring people together if we are all fluent in te reo.
Everyone has potential, everyone has the knowledge and the skill to learn te reo Ma¯ ori.
A me whakamutu ahau ki tetahi whakatauki.
Ko te manu e kai ana i te miro nona te ngahere ko te manu e kai ana i te matauranga nona te ao.
Savannah O’neil, 11
Te Wiki o Te Reo Ma¯ ori makes me feel proud to be Ma¯ ori.
People may think that the Ma¯ ori language and culture is useless and you don’t need to learn it but I think that te reo Ma¯ ori is such a beautiful language.
Our culture is unique to Aotearoa.
Everyone should know at least a few words of te reo Ma¯ ori or at least try to learn how to pronounce Ma¯ ori words.
Tamati Devlin, 13
Te Wiki o Te Reo Ma¯ ori is a cultural event to give all schools a chance to express and represent all of the mahi and presentations that they have been learning throughout the year.
Giving all schools a chance to show what they have been learning is a good opportunity for all students and teachers.
It does not only give them confidence but it also shows the mana that each school holds and has. It’s also for all people to have a great time during the week and enjoy the time for all Ma¯ ori culture.