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Sunday, 25 October 2009

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25 Whiringa ā nuku (October) 2009

"Ka tipu ake ka puawai i te reo rangatira ma nga tamariki mokopuna ki nga ra kei te heke mai"
If kids are immersed and nourished in the Māori language, they will ensure its survival.
This week's whakatauki is explained by George Ihimaera nō Ngāti Pōrou

For close to 40 years Timoti Karetu (Tūhoe, Ngāti Kahungunu) has pursued excellence in te reo Māori which was realised with the launching of Te Panekiretanga i te reo Māori in 2004, a Māori language course targeted at those highly competent in the language. As a teacher of te reo Māori, Timoti Karetu has been described as relentless, on-target, eloquent, demanding, precise and exacting with a tyrannical sense of humour which when combined with his commitment to language excellence saw him awarded Te Tohu taki toa taki mano from Te Taurawhiri i te Reo Māori - The Māori language Commission. A recording from the presentation made at the 2009 Māori language Awards features Pania Papa, Hana O'Regan and kuia Matehuatahi Kaiwai (1915 - 2009) in her final public appearance.

For the past two years the October 15 Solidarity crew have devised innovative ways to commemorate the police raids of 2007 that saw nationwide arrests and the Tūhoe township Ruatoki locked down by the Armed Offenders Squad for a few hours. In 2008 it was the release of a CD titled Tu Kotahi: Freedom Fighting Anthems and 2009 saw an art exhibition/auction Explosive Expression. One of the contributors to the exhibition Tame Iti talks with Maraea Rakuraku about what art means to him, and how over the years he continues to fine tune his artistic endeavours.

If making the 1st XV was an unfulfilled dream when you were at school, you still have a chance if you're an old boy of Te Aute and it doesn't actually involve you pulling on a rugby jersey! For Sandy Adsett, who attended Te Aute between 1954-1957, standing alongside the other fourteen who made the inaugural Te Aute Leaders 1st XV brought back school memories. Maraea Rakuraku is at the dinner launch where she quizzes Adsett about his art pedigree and the value of being able to identify authentic Māori art.