I tae atu Kātī Pīkoko, e hiakai ana ki tō tātou nei reo kāmehameha me ōhona tikaka, i Arowhenua i te Kura Reo Kāi Tahu 2016. I whakarauika rā kā whānau reo Māori me kā manu tāiko ki te noho tahi i raro i te kaupapa o te whanaukataka, o te kotahitaka hoki kia ako tahi ai, kia whakapakari ai tō rātou reo. Nō mātou te whiwhi, i tū tēnei Kura Reo hai hui mutuka i rō tō tātou whare kauanuanu, arā ko Te Hapa o Niu Tireni. Ā kō kō ake nei te whare rā rāhui ai, kia whakahoua ai hai tūrakawaewae pai anō mō kā uri o Huirapa.
E kore e mimiti te puna o mihi ki a koutou i tautoko mai i tēnei kaupapa whakahirahira. Ki a koutou te hau kāika o Kāti Huirapa, koutou kā tohuka o te manaaki, nā koutou mātou i āta tiaki mō te wiki katoa – Kāore he paika i a koutou mō te manaaki takata. Ki a koutou rā kā poureo, arā ko Hana O’Regan, Justin Tipa, Lynne-Harata Te Aika, Brett Lee, Charisma Rangipunga, Kare Tipa, Corban Te Aika, Henare Te Aika-Puanaki, Karuna Thurlow, Ariana Stevens – koutou i whakapeto koi ki te whākai atu i kā pitopito kōrero, kā akoraka ki a tātou, te huka e whakakōiko ana ki tō tātou reo. Kāore i ārikarika kā mihi ki a koutou. 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 Marcel Taani, ko Kelly-Ann Tahitahi, ko Ana Tangaroa kā kaitiaki tamariki i te tau nei. Mei kore ake rātou, tē taea kā mātua te haere ki te ako tahi. E kore e kāwetoweto kā mihi ki a koutou.
The first major event on the KMK calendar, Kura Reo Kāi Tahu, was held at Arowhenua Marae from 10-15 January.
Kura Reo Kāi Tahu is a whānau event that allows learners the opportunity to build upon Kāi Tahu language skills, develop tribal knowledge and strengthen connections with other te reo speakers and whānau. Formal learning sessions were facilitated by our team of kaiako: Hana O’Regan, Justin Tipa, Lynne-Harata Te Aika, Brett Lee, Charisma Rangipunga, Kare Tipa, Corban Te Aika and Henare Te Aika-Puanaki.
This year, we were fully subscribed with close to 140 iwi members registered to participate in our week-long full immersion wānaka reo. Our apologies to those late registrations who we unfortunately had to decline. Please keep an eye out for other KMK events for 2016 and ensure you register early.