Kotahi Mano Kāika

Kura Reo Kāi Tahu

Arowhenua marae 12-16 Iwa
I tae kā ākoka reo Māori, kā whānau reo Māori, kā manukura o te reo i Arowhenua ki te whakapakari anō i tō tātou reo me ōna tikaka. I ako tahi ai kā uri a Tahu me kā whānau e kākaunui ana ki te reo. Kia kore ai e mate-a-moa tō tātou nei reo me ōna tikaka.

Papaki kau ana kā tai o mihi ki a koutou, te kāhui kaumātua arā ko tō tātou taumata okiokika i tautāwhitia mātou i te hui nei. He mihi e rere atu ana hoki ki kā poureo i whakapeto koi ki te whākai atu kā pitopito kōrero, kā akoraka ki a mātou, te huka pīkoko e hiakai tou ana ki tō mātou reo. Ko koutou a ruka.

Tamariki ako ana i te kāika, tū ki te marae, tau ana. Ia tau ka noho tahi ai kā tamariki. Ka tūhono rātou i a rātou, ka tākaro, ka katakata, ka mahi, ka tautohetohe, ka kōrerorero i te reo Māori. Ko Komene Cassidy rātou ko Paia Taani, Ko Kelly-Ann Tahitahi ko Victoria Campbell kā kaitiaki tamariki i te tau nei. Mei kore ake kā kaitiaki tamariki, tē taea e kā mātua te haere ki te ako tahi ai. Mā te tuakana ka tōtika te taina, mā te taina ka tōtika te tuakana. Ka pono kā tamariki ki tēnei whakataukī. I te wā mihi i tautoko kā tuakana i kā taina. I te wā ako, i te wā tākaro hoki i akiaki rātou i a rātou ki te kōrero Māori ki te manaaki rātou i a rātou. I te mutuka o te noho kā whakahōnore kā kaitiaki tamariki i tētahi tuakana, i tētahi tama, i tētahi kōtiro, pono ki te kaupapa. He kaha ēnei ki te kōrero Māori, ki te akiaki i te kāhui tamariki, ki te manaaki hoki. Ko Reihana Richardson te tuakana o te tau. Ko Georgia Dawson te kaikōrero kōtiro o te tau. Ko Kiringaua Cassidy te kaikōrero tama o te tau. Ahakoa te maki tamariki ka puawai tou tō tātou nei reo me ōna tikaka i roto i ēnei piki kōtuku.

E te rahi o Kāti Huirapa, e kā tohuka o te manaaki nei rā kā mihi mutuka kore ki a koutou. Te reka o te kamukamu nā te umu tao roa.

Kāore i kō atu i te Kura Reo Kāi Tahu. There is nothing better than Kura Reo Kāi Tahu. For many people Kura Reo Kāi Tahu is an annual event not to be missed. This total immersion wānaka is an opportunity for people to build upon their language skills, develop tribal knowledge and understanding and strengthen the connections with other te reo speakers and whānau. This year there were eight formal learning sessions facilitated by Hana O’Regan, Lynne Harata Te Aika, Charisma Rangipuna, Paulette Tamati-Elliffe, Kare Tipa Rogers, Henare Te Aika and Brett Lee. A variety of topics were covered such as Mahika kai, grammar, Te Orokohaka – Kāi Tahu and also stories of Tamatea. This year the tamariki had a formal learning session too. The last night saw the culmination of everyone’s learning with the tamariki performing a play about Takaroa, Rakinui and Papatūānuku complemented by the adults who wrote and performed waiata and haka.
Kura Reo Kāi Tahu is whānau event. Formal language learning was accompanied with sport and relaxation – all in te reo of course.

There was a hearty game of Kī-o-Rahi, a fun afternoon at the CBay pool and a trip to the Te Ana Māori Rock Art Centre for others, as well as plenty of swimming in the Arowhenua kura pool. A huge thank you to Arowhenua school for supporting the kaupapa and allowing us the use of the kura facilities.

Now is the time whānau, if you are thinking about attending Kura Reo Kāi Tahu for the first time next year, get on to your language plan. Kia Kūrapa at Tuahiwi is the next beginners level wānaka 28-30 March. More information is on our website www.kmk.maori.nz
Finally, a huge mihi to the Arowhenua whānau. Thanks again for being fabulous hosts and supporting Kotahi Mano Kāika, Kura Reo Kāi Tahu.

Kia Kūrapa ki Awarua

On Friday 31 Iwa – Sunday 2 Kahuru, Te Rau Aroha marae hosted Kia Kūrapa ki Awarua. We were welcomed by the hau kāika and after a yummy kai we were privileged to listen to Bubba Thompson talk about the tūpuna adorning the wharenui. After mihimihi we settled in for the weekend wānaka.

Classes were held at Bluff school and despite the beautiful weather, we had three lessons on Saturday taught by Aoraki Matatū kaiako Kathleen Scott, Brett Lee, Jeanine Tamati-Paratene and Lilly Fraser. Hana O’Regan was the pou reo and supported the kaiako and participants. This Kia Kūrapa had a theme based on Tamatea. It was wonderful to learn kīwaha, whakataukī, grammar and history.

With Tama-nui-te-rā still shining we headed up to Motupōhue (Bluff Hill) on Saturday afternoon and got to see the spectacular views and landscape. We also went to Stirling Point. This was a fantastic opportunity to see some of the places mentioned during the classes. For some it was a first time trip and we were all very thank full to Bubba for sharing kōrero with us. Saturday night we learnt waiata and spent time consolidating what had been learnt during the day.

We had our last class on Sunday morning before departing after lunch. It was awesome to have a group of rakatahi participate. Their enthusiasm and energy was a credit to the hau kāika. It was also warming to have a range of participants, pōua, tāua, mātua, rakatahi, tamariki and pēpi. This is an indication that you are not too young or old to walk the talk. Karawhuia.

A huge thank you to Tāwini White, Rānui Ellison-Collins and Kelly-Ann Tahitahi for running the tamariki programme. Promoting intergenerational language transmission is only possible when parents and grandparents have the opportunity to learn while having their kuru pounamu close by.

Pēpi and tamariki are perfect to practice our new language skills with and having the whole whānau at wānaka means everyone gets to be reo agents. Did I mention the yummy kai? Thanks so much to Jacqui and Sharon who ran the kitchen and all the locals who made sure we were well looked after. The next Kia Kūrapa is at Tuahiwi March 28-30th more information is on our web-site www.kmk.maori.nz

KMK Funding 2014:

We currently have three funds available for individuals, whānau and cluster groups to develop their te reo Māori.

Kā Manukura o te reo
This fund can provide intermediate to advanced Kāi Tahu learners and speakers of te reo with targeted financial assistance to further develop their Māori language proficiency. Participants can apply for up to $5,000.

Whānau reo
This fund will provide financial assistance for Kāi Tahu families to attend Kāi Tahu Papatipu Rūnaka whānau based te reo wānanga and events / KMK whānau based te reo wānanga and events within the Ngāi Tahu takiwā. Applicants can apply for up to $2k per whānau per year

Kāika reo
This fund supports Kāi Tahu whānau groups to strengthen the use of te reo as an everyday language of communication within the home. The fund will consider funding initiatives focused on learning and using te reo as an everyday language within the home and community. Participants can apply for up to $3500.

Here are the KMK funding round cut-off dates for 2014;

• 28 February
• 27 June
• 31 June

Manawa Hou

This year, Manawa Hou was based at Ōtākou Marae. Manawa Hou is a youth initiative helping connect and give rakatahi an opportunity to meet other rakatahi, and to learn about our Kāi Tahu history and be a part of activities that help us understand who we are as Kāi Tahu and what makes up our identity.

The initiative is targeted at rakatahi aged between year 11 and 13 however this hui included rakatahi from the hau kāika who were a few years younger. The importance of having the hau kāika involved is that the home people, the people who keep the home fires burning, are the ones telling their stories, their history and connecting it to their landscape.

The tuākana guided initiative was led by Rānui Ellison (Ōtākou), Waiariki Parata-Taiapa (Kāti Huirapa ki Puketeraki), and Tawini White (Kāti Huirapa ki Puketeraki, Arowhenua). This particular haereka covered lots of local activities. We went to Okia Flats (the pyramids) which linked to the story that the group had been told about earlier when Tarewai was able to avenge himself from almost being killed by Kāti Māmoe. All rakatahi participated and the view from the top of the pyramids allowed the rakatahi to see where the story had taken place.

After another one of our activities, taoka tākaro, there was a break in the weather and the rōpū was able to rush off to Papanui Inlet to gather tuaki for the hākari. Everyone enjoyed the albatross colony and it was a great success led by Hoani Langsbury who took the rōpū around the colony to see the toroa who nest there and also showed the group where te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed at Ōtākou. The group was pretty lucky to also have a close encounter with some beautiful Ōtākou seals and penguins. The invaluable session with Tā Tīpene O’Regan, Edward Ellison and Tahu Pōtiki discussing whakapapa, history and the importance of tribal leadership and the structure of papatipu rūnaka was a highlight for many of the rakatahi and hau kāika involved.

On the last day, with the help and guidance of Komene Cassidy, the rakatahi were able to see and participate first hand in the process of preparing a hāngi. Overall the rakatahi had many opportunities to not only connect with new whanauka and friends, but to learn a little more about the rohe of Ōtākou and its history.

Tēnei te mihi ki kā kaimahi, kā kaitautoko o tēnei o kā kaupapa whakahirahira. Kei kā whītiki o te kī, Tā Tipene O’Regan, Edward Ellison, Tahu Pōtiki, Hoani Langsbury, Komene Cassidy, nāia te reo omihi e rere kau atu ana ki a koutou katoa. Ki kā rika wera, Kara Edwards, Leisa Aumua, Paulette Tamati Elliffe mā, i puta a pito, mei kore ake koutou, mei kore mātou. He mihi hoki tēnei ki te rōpū Rangatahi Tū Rangatira. Ko koutou e whakahaere nei i kā kemu, tēnei te mihi, tēnei te mihi. Ki Ōtākou marae, ko koutou kā tohuka o te manaaki.

If you are wanting to participate in the next Manawa Hou haerenga either contact your rūnaka or email your interest to [email protected].