An investiture ceremony was held at Auckland's Government House on Friday morning and among those honoured were Māori education stalwarts Tāwhirimātea (Tāwhiri) and Kaa Williams.
Although they were thrilled with the acknowledgement, Tāwhiri said there was still mahi to be done for the two.
"He rā tēnei, hei whakapaipai kanohi, tāpiri mai ēnei taonga ki a māua, engari i te otinga ake, kei konā, kei te wānanga kē te nuinga o ngā mahi, te rangatiratanga o ngā mahi e tatari ana ([Yes] today's a day to freshen up and receive our taonga, but at the end of the day, there’s work waiting for us at the wānanga)."
The husband-and-wife duo have served at least 50 years within the education sector, fostering a generation of Māori speakers during a time when such a thing was unheard of.
Māori education stalwarts Tāwhirimātea and Kaa Williams have been acknowledged as Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit at Auckland's Government House for their contribution to the revival of te reo Māori in the education sector. (Source: Te Karere)
From the valleys of Ruatoki to the big smoke
Both Tāwhirimātea and Williams were instrumental in the establishment of the country's first Māori bilingual school, based in Ruatoki in 1978.
Tāwhiri was head of the school at the time, with his wife by his side until they left in 1996. Tāwhiri said he was honoured to had been guided by the elders of Tūhoe throughout this time.
"Te waimarie ake te noho i te taha o ōku koroua, kuia i runga i ērā marae, waimarie ([I was] very lucky to have sat beside my elders on the marae, very lucky indeed)!
"Kārekau tētahi whare wānanga huri noa i te ao e rite tonu ki ngā waimarie i riro mai ki a māua (There is no other institution in the world that could compare to how lucky we were [then])," Tāwhiri said, referring to the teachings of his elders.
The pair then moved to Tāmaki Makaurau, utilising the knowledge they gained while at Ruatoki to establish Te Wānanga Takiura o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa, a Māori language institution based in Mt Albert.
It's a popular learning centre for first-time te reo Māori learners who are willing to fully immerse themselves in te reo. For Tāwhiri, however, there's more to it than just learning the language itself.
"Ehara tēnei i te ako i te reo: he ako i te ao Māori, he ako i te whakaaro Māori, he ako i te mātauranga Māori, he ako i te tikanga Māori (This [te reo Māori] isn't just about learning the language: It's learning about the Māori world, the Māori perspective, Māori knowledge, and Māori protocols)."
Although there is still work to be done for these two, Williams said she looks forward to watching the next generation take the language to new heights.
"Kei te tipu haere, ā tōna wā, ka puea mai ki roto i ngā kura, ki roto i ngā hapori, ki roto anō i a tatou. Ko tātou kē ngā mea hei whakaputa i tērā āhua o te Māori (It's growing, and in time, it will blossom in schools, communities, and within ourselves. It's up to us to express what makes us Māori)."
Glossary
mahi – work
taonga – gift, something prized
wānanga – tertiary institution
Tāmaki Makaurau – Auckland
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