Ko Maioha Watson, Nō Tainui, Ngāi Tūhoe, Ngāti Manawa, Te Āti Awa me Te Arawa
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 Maioha Watson, and asked him to share some insights about his rangahau.
Kia kaha te reo Māori te kaupapa matua o tēnei wiki. 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 Maioha Watson tērā.
Ko te kaupapa o tōna tuhingaroa, he whakakīkī haere i te puna rangahau e hīnātore ai te hiranga o te ao kapa haka ki te ao whānui, inarā, i ōna hua maha ki te hunga rangatahi. Ko te ngako, he matapaki i ngā wheako o te hunga rangatahi kātahi anō ka whakaeke atu ai ki te papa tātāwhāinga o Te Matatini; me te aha, he whakatairanga i ōna kura huna ki te ao.
Nā te aha koe i whiriwhiri i tēnei huarahi ki te tuhi i tō tuhinga whakapae i roto i te reo Māori?
“Nōku e matapaki, e whāwhā ana i te puna o te kī, me uaua ka kitea ngā hua o te ao haka ki te hunga rangatahi, me te mea hoki, he kaha tonu nō te ao pūtaiao Pākehā ki te whakahāwea i ō tātou mātauranga Māori. Nā konā i toka ai te whakatau, me tuhi taku tuhinga whakapae i te reo Māori. Hei āpitihanga, ko tāku e tōngakingaki nei ko te whakamāori i te kōrerotia o te reo Māori, kia maringi, kia tangata whenua, kia noho ko tōku reo ake, hei reo mātāmua mōku.”
He aha ngā āhuatanga matua, ngā hua me kī, kua puta i tō kōwhiringa ki te tuhi i roto i te reo Māori?
“Ko te ako, ko te whakawhānui ake i ōku mōhiotanga ki tōku ao. I te mutunga iho, ko tāku he whakahoki i ōku wheako, i ngā mātauranga kua akona e au ki tōku iwi, hei oranga mōna.”
He kupu tohutohu, he kupu akiaki rānei āu mō ngā tauira e hiahia ana ki te whai rangahau i roto i te reo Māori?
“Ākina, kōrerotia te reo! Kaua e kōrapa, e ngāueue ki te tuku i tō reo kia rere. Whakanuia, whakarangatirahia tā tātou taonga, tō tātou reo kāmehameha, ki te ngutu o te makiu.”
