Kura’s te reo legacy celebrated

THIS CALLS FOR CAKE: Students and staff — teacher Tipuna Iwiata (right) and teacher aide Taniera Taratu (back left) look forward to tucking into the 30th anniversary cake, iced with the tohu, or symbol, that helps guide Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Taonga Tuturu ki Tokomaru. The kura was the first Maori language immersion school in Tairawhiti, and the seventh in New Zealand. Picture supplied

by Jack Marshall

Decades of hard work were celebrated at the weekend as Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Taonga Tuturu ki Tokomaru marked 30 years of education in te reo Maori.

Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Taonga Tuturu ki Tokomaru was the first Maori-language immersion school in the Tairawhiti region and the seventh in New Zealand.

“Our language is our identity,” said spokesman John Kopua 30 years ago, when the school opened.

“If we lose our language, we lose our identity.”

Kura Kaupapa Maori schools follow the values and philosophy of Te Aho Matua, which guides the schools as they work to revitalise Maori language, knowledge and culture.

Jonette Martin, Samantha Thompson, Nataria Thompson and Hana Bates were among the many who helped to organise and run the 30th celebrations.

They said it was a beautiful day, where they reminisced with friends and whanau, remembered members who have passed away and celebrated the revitalisation of the Maori language.

The event was to acknowledge the people who established the kura kaupapa Maori from humble beginnings, and to also commemorate the people who have sustained the kura over the 30 years.

Today te reo is free to study around the country and classes are popular and often booked out, but that was not always the case.

Jonette Martin said at a hui in 1990 whanau were told that if they carried on with the opening of a kura kaupapa Maori they would be arrested, handcuffed and taken to prison for opening the school.

Thankfully that did not happen.

“Imagine those people from Tokomaru Bay at that time from that group who started the kura — these are the kinds of people we want to acknowledge, and some of them were at the celebration who had fundraised the wages to pay for the teachers,” said Ms Martin.

They said it took three years before the Ministry of Education approved bulk funding for wages.

“There is still more work to be completed, but in the fight for te reo Maori, we’ve definitely made progress.”

To mark this milestone they planted four fruit trees for past, present and future students. Another tree was planted in memory of whanau members who have passed away.

The Ohu Whakarite — the organising group — thank the present principal Herena Paranihi Ngauma, the board of trustees and whanau of Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Nga Taonga Tuturu ki Tokomaru; Karla Kohatu principal of Hatea-a-Rangi; the Tokomaru Bay community; the Whanau of Te Aotawarirangi and Ruataupare; and also the whanau whanui for supporting and contributing their time and energy to making the day successful.