TUMUAKI WELCOME

Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori.
Ko te kupu te mauri o te reo Māori. E rua ēnei wehenga kōrero e hāngai tonu ana ki runga i te reo Māori. Ko te reo, nō te Atua mai. 
(Tā Himi Henare).

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 The language is the life force of the mana Māori. The word is the life force of the language. These two ideas are absolutely crucial tō the Māori language. Ā language, which is a gift tō us from God. 
(Tā Himi Henare).

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Ko wai te iwi e whakaaro nui ana ki tō rātou ake reo? Ko wai te iwi e kitea ana ko te reo he taonga, he mana, he mauri tōna? He reo rangatira. He reo nō ngā mātua tūpuna. He reo nō te Atua mai. Ko wai te iwi e titiro pēnei ana ki tō rātou ake reo? Ki tōku whakapae, ko tātou te iwi Māori. Koia ka whakataukī mai e te rangatira a Tā Himi Henare, ‘Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori. Ko te kupu te mauri o te reo Māori. Ko te reo, nō te Atua mai.’ 

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Kei hea rā te mauri o tōku reo Māori? Māku e kī atu, kei ngā marae te mauri o tōku reo. Kei ngā huihuinga hoki o ngā iwi Māori. Nā wai rā! Tau kau anō ki runga ngā marae ka rongo i te mauri e tākai ana i ahau i roto i te reo karanga, i te reo mihi, i te reo aroha me ngā reo katoa e rongohia ana ki runga i tēnā marae, i tēnā marae. Ko ahau tēnei e ngākaunui ana ki te ao Māori, ki ōna tikanga, waihoki ki tōna reo. 

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Me pēhea rā tātou e kore e ngākaunui ki tēnei reo rangatira, ki tēnei reo ātaahua, ki tēnei reo anō hoki nō te Atua mai. Nā ēnei āhuatanga ka ū tonu au ki ngā whakataetae Ngā Manu Kōrero. Ko te manu he kupu whakarite mō ngā taitamariki o te ao Māori e tono whakamāherehere ana i te aumangea, arā, i te hunga mātau, i te hunga mārama noki , kia mōhio ai me huri pēhea, me rere ki hea, ā, ki hea hoki rātou tau ai. 

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Nō reira e mara mā! Haere mai koutou, ngā manomano tāngata, haere mai ki te whakarongo ki te reo o ia haukāinga nō ngā kokonga o ngā hau e whā! Ngā reo i rongohia e te taringa tamaiti! E homā! Māmā noa te whakarongo. Āe Mārika! Hena koia! Tahuri mai ki te whakarongo ki te korihi o ngā manu.

Kia kaha rā tātou. Ki te kore e hūharetia ngā māngai, ka kore anō pea e ketekete te kākā, e kūkū te kūkupa, e tīoriori noa mai ngā manu. Mutu pū ki konei. 

 

Ngā tini manaakitanga,

 

Mina Pōmare -Peita Tumuaki