Keeping one man’s legacy alive
Ionly met Dr Huirangi Waikerepuru once, for a story I wrote about the lifetime achievement award he received in 2016 in recognition of the work he did for decades to keep te reo Ma¯ ori alive. But the name of this revered kaumatua permeates the very fabric of Taranaki, especially within Ma¯ oridom, and his influence remains obvious across Aotearoa.
Waikerepuru, who died last week at the age of 91, was a man who dedicated his life to te reo Ma¯ ori and created a pathway for others to follow.
Through the efforts of his focussed mahi (work), along with others, a Waitangi Tribunal claim resulted in te reo Ma¯ ori gaining status as an official language in 1987.
Closer to home, he pioneered the revitalisation of the Taranaki dialect and helped set up Te Reo o Taranaki.
He was also instrumental in the establishment of the nation’s iwi radio network, which includes Te Korimako O Taranaki, along with Ma¯ ori Television.
His name was often on the lips of proponents of te reo when they spoke of its history and usage in the region, including the likes of Dr Ruakere Hond, who is one who has picked up the mantle carried for so long by Waikerepuru and his contemporaries.
Teachers of te reo in Taranaki also regularly name-check Waikerepuru in class or wa¯ nanga, paying homage to him and his knowledge, along with sharing with their students the karakia he wrote.
As a recent tauira (student) of the Ma¯ori language, two of the karakia he penned are on the list I still recite every day.
Following his death, there has been an outpouring of tributes to the man, likened by Nga¯ ti Ruanui kaiwhakarite Rukutai Watene as a Nelson Mandelalike figure within the iwi.
It is nothing short of a great shame that due to the coronavirus outbreak, Waikerepuru will not receive the farewell he deserves.
Like his niece, Nga¯ti Ruanui leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer said, the occasion of his tangihanga would have drawn thousands of people to pay their respects and honour his life.
Despite this, his achievements should be a source of celebration, especially here in Taranaki, for we have all benefited immensely from his work, passion and dedication.
And as people living in this region, or wherever you call home in Aotearoa, we can all play a role in keeping the legacy he created alive.
It could be that every time you hear or say ‘kia ora’, you remember it was Waikerepuru who helped to give the standing te reo Ma¯ ori deserves in society.
Or perhaps you could recognise it by making a real effort to pronounce te reo kupu (words) or Ma¯ ori place, or street, names correctly.
We all have the ability to look after the taonga Waikerepuru fought so hard to protect.