To celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, Te Tumu Research Committee is showcasing the exceptional work of Māori postgraduate students writing their theses in te reo Māori. Roma Donaldson-Gush talked to Te Hira Paenga, 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 Te Hira Paenga tērā.
Ko Te Hira Paenga, nō Ngāpuhi, Ngāti Porou me Ngāti Kahungunu
He tauira a Te Hira nō Te Tumu me te Mātai Whakapono Karaitiana. Ko te whāinga o tōna rangahau, he whakaū i te kaupapa Māori, otirā te mātauranga Māori, ki roto i ngā kaupapa Atuatanga. Mā te tūhura, mā te tāutu, mā te arotake i ngā ihoatua o te ao kapa haka e whai hononga ai tēnei wānanga a te Māori ki te Atuatanga. Ko tōna urupounamu, he aha ngā ihoatua e kitea ana i roto i ngā mahi kapa haka kei ngā tuhinga, kei ngā whakaritenga rangi me ngā oro waiata, me ngā nekeneke ā-tinana? Ka mutu, he aha ōna kura puaki e kīia ai tēnei rangahau Atuatanga he ihoatua whakahirahira a te Māori?
Nā te aha koe i whiriwhiri i tēnei huarahi ki te tuhi i tō tuhinga whakapae i roto i te reo Māori?
“Ko te tuatahi tēnei o ngā tuhingaroa Atuatanga i te ao kua tuhia ki te reo kāmehameha, arā ki te reo Māori. Kua roa te iwi Māori e tito haka ana, waiata ana, mōteatea ana, hīmene ana, aha atu, aha atu. Kua tae ki te wā e ōkawa ai ngā kaupapa Atuatanga kua roa e noho waiwai ana i roto i te iwi Māori. He ākonga kura kaupapa Māori ahau i puta i Hoani Waititi i te tau 2000, nā reira, ko te reo o aku tīpuna e āki ana i a au kia Māori te kupu, ā, kia Māori te kawe.”
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 tūmanako ka whāia tonutia ngā tuhinga Atuatanga reo Māori e ngāi pīkoko, otirā e te rangatahi hei ngā rangi e tū mai nei.”
He kupu tohutohu, he kupu akiaki rānei āu mō ngā tauira e hiahia ana ki te whai rangahau i roto i te reo Māori?
“Kia kaha rā, ahatia te kaupapa, te horopaki, te matū rānei o ngā kaupapa tuhi, ā, kia kounga te reo. Torotoro ki te hunga e matatau ana i te reo, ā, whai hononga ki ētahi mātanga kua tohunga nei ki ngā mahi e rangahautia ana e koe. I te korenga o ngā tuhinga kairangi Pūtaiao, Pāngarau, Mātai Hinengaro, Pūoro, Atuatanga, aha atu, aha atu, kua noho ko te reo me te ahurea Māori hei mātāmuri ki ngā kaupapa auraki. Kua tae ki te wā e whakaohooho ai te taniwha mātauranga Māori, reo Māori, kua roa e moe ana i te rua o mahara. Kia hiwa ake Māori mā, nō koutou te ao!”
