To celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, the Te Tumu Research Committee is showcasing the exceptional work of Māori postgraduate students writing their theses in te reo. Roma Donaldson-Gush talked to Tonga Karena, and asked him to share some insights about his rangahau.
Hei whakamana i tō tātou reo Māori, kua kōrero atu a Roma Donalson-Gush ki ētahi o ngā tauira Māori e tuhi ana i ā rātou ake tuhinga roa (Tohu Paerua, Tohu Kairangi rānei) i te reo Māori. Ia rā o te wiki nei, ka whakaatu ai tētahi o aua tauira, i tēnei rā, ko Tonga Karena tērā.
Ko Tonga Karena, nō Taranaki, Ngāi Tūhoe, Te Aupōuri me Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa
He tauira a Tonga nō Te Tumu me Te Ao o Rongomaraeroa (Peace and Conflict). Ko te pūtake o tōna mahi rangahau, he rapu i ngā kōrero mō Rongo a te Māori, i mua i te taenga mai o te paipera me te rongopai, me te rapua mai he aha rawa ērā āhuatanga i roto i tōna ake iwi o Taranaki. Kei te aro hoki ia ki a Parihaka me ngā āhuatanga o Rongo ki reira – e kīia nei, ko ngā kura huna. He nui nga tūmomo kōrero e whakatairanga nei i te rongopai ki roto i a Parihaka. Ko tōna hiahia ki te rapu whakautu mō te pātai, kei hea te wāhi ki a Rongo?
Nā te aha koe i whiriwhiri i tēnei huarahi ki te tuhi i tō tuhinga whakapae i roto i te reo Māori?
“I timata taku tuhi i tēnei tuhingaroa ki roto i te reo Pākehā. Ka tae atu au ki waenganui o te mahi, ka tahuri mai ngā kaitiaki me te pātai, ‘pēhea rānei ki a koe tō tuhia mai i tō rangahau ki roto i te reo?’ I āhua ohorere au i tēnā pātai, engari he pai ki a au nā te mea, he timatanga tēnei mā Parihaka ki te kōrero ki a ia anō ki roto i tōna anō reo. Ko te mea kē, kia rongo i a Parihaka tōna anō reo – me whai reo a Parihaka ki roto i tōna reo Māori. Koirā tāku i ngākaunui ai ki tērā huarahi tuhituhi.
“Ko tōku tino pātai i a au e tuhi ana ki roto i te reo Pākehā, ‘He aha ai au e whakaratarata nei i te ao Pākehā ki ēnei kōrero?’ Ka mutu, me whai wāhi ngā tauheke ki te māhorahora mai, ki te ruku hohonu atu ki roto i tō rātou ngākau, mamae kore nei. Ka māmā ko te maringi mai o ngā kōrero i ngā tauheke e mārama ana ki te reo. Ka mutu, he tino taonga te pānui i ngā kōrero o tō iwi, o tō hapū i roto i tō reo.”
He aha ngā āhuatanga matua, ngā hua me kī, kua puta i tō kōwhiringa ki te tuhi i roto i te reo Māori?
“Kua nui ake taku mōhio ki tōku Parihakatanga. Kua whai wāhi au ki te takahi tētahi huarahi e rapu ai au te mea ngaro – te kura. Ka mutu, ko te kukume mai o te kāinga i a koe kia noho tahi koe me ō pāhake, me te hapori whānui.”
He kupu tohutohu, he kupu akiaki rānei āu mō ngā tauira e hiahia ana ki te whai rangahau i roto i te reo Māori?
“Me manawanui koe ki a koe anō. Me manawanui koe ki te noho tahi me o pāhake, ki te pānui pukapuka, ki te wero i ngā kōrero a ngā Pākehā i tuhi ai mōu. Kimihia tō reo tuhituhi, kimihia tō reo kōrero. Ka haere ngā tau, ka pahure ngā tau i a koe, ka kite koe he tangata hou kua puawai mai. I te mutunga iho, ka kite koe i tētahi mea, i tētahi kura, hei tuku atu ki te ao.”
