Te Kete Ipurangi Navigation:

Te Kete Ipurangi
Communities
Schools

Te Kete Ipurangi user options:


Tāhia

Kāinga Whānau Hou mai: Discovering Māori medium education Wāhanga 2: Whāia te pae tawhiti Wāhanga 2: Language reflects the existing and potential life needs of the family

Wāhanga 2: Language reflects the existing and potential life needs of the family

Duration: 14:53

Ruakere Hond: Language reflects the existing and potential life needs of the family. The uncanny ability of Māori speakers to speak superb English. The role of schools and local communities to support the language. 

Mataia Keepa: There is always support for those who are embarrassed. 

Reo Māori transcript

I te wā ka pātai mai ngā whānau ana, he aha te huarahi e kōrero Māori ai au?, ana, i te nuinga ō ngā wā, ko taku whakautu nei, kia kaua e whakaaro atu mō te reo tonu, ka tae mai te reo ki roto i a rātou. Me rapu kē he aha ngā momo … ngā mea e hihiko ai te ngākau o ngā whānau. He aha ngā mea e rata mai ai ngā tamariki? He aha ngā mea e ngākaunuitia ai ngā whānau ki te mahi tahi. Koira ngā pātai tuatahi, kia mārama pai ai te whānau he aha tērā e korikori ai rātou, e manawanui ai rātou, kātahi ka mōhio rātou ki te huarahi e ora ai tō rātou reo. Ko te pātai tuarua he aha te huarahi e uru ai te reo Māori ki roto ki aua mahi. Nō reira ko te piringa o te whānau ehara i te mea ko te reo te mea kaha e piri ai tētahi whānau. Nōku anō ēnei whakaaro. Kāore anō kia kite i tētahi whānau kua piri mō te reo te take. I te nuinga ō ngā wā, tata ki te katoa ō ngā wā, ko te take e piri ai ngā whānau, ngā tāngata i roto i ngā hapori, kua piri i runga i ngā whakaaro, i ngā whāinga, ngā wawata kē atu i te reo pēnei i te whanaungatanga, pēnei i te mātauranga, pēnei i te hākinakina, pēnei i te kapa haka. Koia anō ko ngā mea e manawanui ai rātou. Ko te pātai nui, ko te wero nui, me pēhea e uru atu ai te reo Māori ki roto i aua kaupapa e manawanui ai rātou?

Koia anō ko ngā whānau i ēnei rā. Hāunga ko te whakapapa. Āe, ko te whakapapa te mea ka piri te tangata engari he nui anō ngā whānau whai whakapapa engari marara ana ki te ao. Ko te whānau whai whakapapa engari whai kaupapa mā ētahi, koia anō ko tētahi whānau kua piri pūmau rātou ki a rātou. He pērā anō ko ētahi tangata, ētahi whānau iti nei ka piri ngātahi atu me ētahi atu … ko wai ka kī atu ehara tērā i te whānau? He whānau tonu tērā. Ahakoa kāre he whakapapa o tērā, o tērā, kāo, ko te kaupapa kē e piri ai rātou, ka manawanui rātou, ka hihiko rātou, ka whai wawata ai rātou. Koia anō ko te oranga o te reo, o te tikanga, o taua whānau tonu ki ngā tau kei mua i te aroaro. He take anō tērā, he nui ngā mea e pātai mai ana. Ko te tangata i tipu i roto i te reo Māori, nō hea mai tērā reo Pākehā? Me te pai o te reo Pākehā nei pea e puta ana ahakoa kāore anō ia kia ako i te reo Pākehā i roto i te kura pea. Tērā anō pea i ako i te kura ēngari mō te pai o te reo Pākehā. He tohu nui tērā mō te koi o te hinengaro o te tangata e kapo nei i te reo.

Ko te hinengaro o te tangata pēnei he rorohiko kapo reo. Koirā te tino mahi nei o te hinengaro o te tangata. No reira kia mau i te tamaiti te reo Māori nei, kua āhua mārama ia ki ngā nekenekehanga ō te kupu. Ko tērā momo raweke i te kupu Pākehā, i te rerenga Pākehā, te tirohanga rerekē. Koirā te mea e reka ana, e ataahua ana te rere o ngā kupu Pākehā. Nā runga i te koi o te hinengaro o te tamaiti i ako i te reo Māori engari i mārama ki tētahi tirohanga kē, ki reo kē. Koia anō ko te oranga o te reo, o te tikanga, o taua whānau tonu ki ngā tau kei mua i te aroaro. E mōhio ana he nui ngā momo kura i roto i Aotearoa nei, he rerekē ngā whāinga, he rerekē ngā kaimahi, ngā whānau. Nō reira he uaua te kī me pēnei te āhua o te kura nā te mea ka kōrero pērā kāore e kore ka kite i ētahi atu kura kāre i te pērā. Engari ko tētahi o ngā tino whakaaro pea hei whakaaro atu mā tātou i a tātou e kōrero ana mō ngā kura: he aha tērā mea e kōkiri whakamua ana rātou? Ko te tohutohu o te kāwanatanga, ko te marautanga e whai utu ai rātou, e whai hereni ai rātou, e whai mahi ai ngā kaimahi? 

E mārama ana he uaua te whakahaere i te kura ki te kore aua mea te hereni. Engari ko te mea e pūmau ai rātou ki ngā tino whāinga o taua kura ko ērā mea i tua atu i ērā whāinga o te kāwanatanga. Arā, ko ngā mea ā-iwi, ngā mea ā-takiwā, ko te whakapiki i te mana o taua hapori e piri tahi ana ki taua kura. Koia anō ko te kura tūturu pea e ora atu ai te reo Māori. Hāunga anō ko ngā kura pai te rumaki, pai te tō mai i te tangata, ehara i te whakahē ana ērā kura, engari ko te āwangawanga nei he aha te huarahi e piri tonu ai ērā whānau ka puta ngā tamariki. Ka marara ērā o ngā mātua, ērā o ngā whānau, ka kuhu mai.. He pēnei i tētahi kiore i runga i te wīra e takahurihuri ana. Ia tau, ia tau ka kuhu mai ngā whānau, waihanga anō tērā manawa nei i roto i a rātou ka puta. Engari i ētahi anō o ngā kura ka noho ā-hapori, ka noho whakatipuranga, ka noho ā-whakapapa ki roto i taua takiwā. Ka kite atu pea te oranga roa nei i roto i tēnei kaupapa o te kura rumaki.

Reo Pākehā translation

When a family asks me ‘How can we learn Māori?’ my reply to them most of the time is don’t think simply about the language. It will come to them. What is needed is a way to inspire a family. What things attract children? What do families like doing together? Those are the first questions I ask, so that a family clearly understands motivation, commitment and what path they should take to learn Māori. The second question is how can Māori language become part of what they do? When it comes to family unity, it’s not as if Māori language is the overriding factor that brings them together. This is what I think. I haven’t seen a family come together just to learn Māori. Most or nearly all of the time, the unifying factor for families and people within a community is an idea, a goal or dream beyond the Māori language. Like family connections, education, sports, or a haka group. These are the things that engender commitment. The big question or challenge is how can Māori language become part of their commitment?

This is what families are like today. It’s separate to genealogy. Yes, family links people together but there are also many families with members scattered around the world. Some families are bound by blood, and some have other causes. That is one way families commit to each other. Some people are similar in that they are small families who bond with others. Who can say that this is not a family? They are still a family. Although some may not have Māori lineage, it is the common cause that unifies, energises and inspires them to dream. This is the safeguard for our language, culture and family in the years ahead. That’s another thing that many people ask. How does a person brought up speaking Māori, learn English? And perhaps it’s very good English even though they may not have been taught English at school. Perhaps they did learn at school but in any case, their English is excellent. This is a great indicator of the facility of the human mind to grasp language.

The brain is like a language computer. This is one of its major functions. So when the Māori language is instilled within a child, they understand how to employ words. They experiment with English words, sentences, and its different perspectives. This is what enhances their English language. It’s due to the capability of a child taught in Māori and their understanding of a different language perspective. This is the safeguard for our language, culture and family in the years ahead. We all know there are many kinds of schools in NZ with different goals, staff and families. So it’s difficult to state that this is the way a school should be. If you did, there’s no doubt you’d find other schools unlike it. But there is one important issue we should consider as we talk about education: What motivates a school? Is it a Government directive; a curriculum that determines how a school is subsidised, funded and staffed? 

It’s clear a school can’t operate without funding. But the thing that creates Māori support for the goals of a school is outside the Government’s scope. These things are tribal, regional, and influenced by the community of a school. This is what best motivates schools to revive the Māori language. It is separate to schools that have good immersion programmes and enrolment. I don’t disagree with their place, but my concern is how schools maintain good relationships with families for the benefit of the children. Parents and families always come and go.. It’s like a rat on a treadmill. Every year new families enter schools, make their contributions, then they leave. But some schools maintain their sense of community, generational growth, and local heritage. This perhaps creates long-term protection for Māori immersion schools. 

 

 


Footer: