Tēnā koutou e te whānau. At the time of writing this it is one day to go before the start of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week (you might read it after the week has passed). According to Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission) it is an annual celebration for all New Zealanders to show their support for the Māori language, an official language of this country.
It is apt that I share my experience of learning te reo Māori. The theme of this year’s Māori Language Week is ‘Ake Ake Ake – A Forever Language’, which is serendipitous because at the start of the year I had decided that my commitment to the language of this land will not be piecemeal with sporadic classes every couple of years but a long-term commitment to attain an intermediate to conversational level fluency within a few years. In short, for me it’s not Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, or Te Tau o Te Reo Māori (The year of te reo) anymore, but it’s now Te Koiora o Te Reo Māori (the life of te reo).
Peculiarly, this desire to commit to learning Māori has its roots in the birth of my daughter in November last year. When I became a father, I made sure that the first words my daughter heard were in my ancestral language: Urdu. My biggest fear is that my daughter will lose her language as she grows up in a predominantly English-speaking New Zealand so I only speak to her in Urdu.
As she grows up she will learn Māori because it is the language of the land and obviously English will automatically come as it is ever so prevalent. Through Urdu she will have a portal to her whakapapa and culture. Through Māori she will find roots to make Aotearoa her home.
As a father it is my responsibility to teach her my ancestral language. As a Tangata Tiriti it is my responsibility to learn Māori and be a role model to her. Language is not just a tool for communication but a foundation of our identity.
I believe as an immigrant that foundation will be stronger through Māori. I strongly believe that I am a citizen of Aotearoa because of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and hence it is my responsibility to nurture, support, and respect te reo Māori. The best way to do that is to learn it.
Now I am going through level 4 full immersion at Te Herenga Waka o Ōrewa Marae through Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi. I can say things like Ākuanei, ka kai ahau i te parakuihi, kātahi ka haere atu ahau ki te takutai ki te hīkoi (soon I will eat breakfast and then go to the coast for a walk). Of course, I might have gotten something wrong in the above sentence or the above paragraphs, but then again, I can also say this; Aroha mai, e ako tonu ana ahau i Te Reo Māori (apologies, I am still learning te reo).
What a show off am I? So go ahead, take the step this Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori and make this week a year and then a lifetime. If the week has passed by the time you read this. Kei te pai, you can start anytime.
Ko tōku reo tōku ohooho, Ko tōku reo tōku māpihi maurea..
