Life after Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

Here are three questions.

  • First, what about the other rima tekau mā tahi weeks of the year?

  • Second, how do we deepen our understanding of te Ao Māori?

  • Third, how can we contribute to addressing the bigger picture?

During the week, Warren met with a Māori colleague – Ngāti Whātua and Ngāti Porou. Most of the time, they spoke about her whānau and te reo. Her grandmother was from the generation that wasn’t allowed to speak Māori at school. If they did, they suffered the consequences. We all know this story.

This resulted in the ‘self-suppression’ of te reo and te Ao Māori. This washed over the next two generations. It’s starting to change now with her children and grandchild. Her son always asked why he didn’t attend Kōhanga Reo or Kura Kaupapa. There was no simple answer.

He admired his uncles, who attended Kura Kaupapa. At 22, he gave up his 9 – 5 job and enrolled in a one-year immersion course at Te Wanaanga Takiura o Nga Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa.

Te ao Māori is now part of his everyday life at home, work, and in social settings. He is raising his two-year-daughter in the te ao Māori environment where she thrives, and he continues to learn through her.

Lezlie and Simon Young, photographer, while on a shoot, talked about the original purpose for building the Great South Road. Twelve thousand soldiers built the highway over two years to provide a direct route to Waikato during the Māori wars, to claim more land. It was a sobering discussion.

These two chats highlight events and practices which were and continue to be part of the bigger picture, of which we’re all part. So, what can we do as individuals and organisations to make a difference? As it turns out, a lot.

Here’s something we do at Marque. If our work has a Māori dimension, we consult either with our Kaitiaki or with Māori within the client organisation. This could apply to developing a brand strategy, creating a new brand or implementation.

The reason for writing this post is to nudge anyone thinking of doing something. It all counts, and as our Māori colleague generously said, we’re moving in the right direction.

Kāti ake i konei

 
 
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