The shed that houses the rākau momori trunks is filling up fast and a larger preservation area is required as soon as possible.Pictures supplied
by Jack Ward
A cultural and linguistic renaissance is under way on Rēkohu Chatham Islands.
For years, myths have shrouded people’s perceptions and notions of Moriori who call those islands home.
Kiwa Hammond says “they are waking up a dormant language”.
Mr Hammond (Ngāti Kahungunu o Te Wairoa, Ngāti Ruapani, Rongowhakaata, Moriori, English, Irish, Scottish) only learnt of his Moriori roots 25 years ago.
He travelled to Rēkohu last November for the first time in two years.
“The trip was positive. We were there for six days, hoping the fog would roll in on the day we left.
“Some members were there for the first time, so to take them to these special places was a memorable part of the trip.
“It is Wairoa on a smaller scale — more remote and it has its own economic challenges.
“You have live exports going from the island to the mainland and the ship is unreliable, which has impacts financially and economically.
“The last thing on your mind is saving a language and culture.”
Mr Hammond has held language webinars in Wairoa due to connectivity issues on Rēkohu.
Despite the economic and logistical challenges, they now have connectivity covering the island.
“That makes a huge difference to (be able to) access it — the language is in the land.
“It is heartening to see the real growth in confidence of people who were shy and scared and are now doing anything to develop ta re (the reo of Moriori) and having a go outside their comfort zone.
“People are becoming comfortable in their own skins now. Historically, to be Moriori was seen as shameful.”
Ta re Moriori has the same proto-Polynesian origins as other languages in the Pacific with its closest relative being te Reo Māori.
Developed in its own way, ta re Moriori is a distinct and different language.
“If the language was extinct, no one would be talking about it or speaking it.”
Sifting through documents and with no audio recording to help, there is an element of guesswork.
“We have to make an educated assessment, how the document was written and it is taken on faith,
“The challenge is to verbalise it the way it has been recorded and written as a Polynesian language.
“We need more time in the Pacific with those languages and the words and phrases, to do the research and develop a vocabulary list and course of learning.”
Mr Hammond, along with members of the Hokotehi Moriori Trust (HMT) is keeping the fires burning for the revitalisation of ta re Moriori.
“Languages only survive if they are relevant.
“The late Mana Cracknell, who passed away in 2022, and Maui Solomon have laid the foundation, putting down the groundwork for the revitalisation,” Mr Hammond says.
Reference points include documents recorded in secret by Hirawanu Tapu and Alexander Shand in the late 19th century. The speaking of Moriori was banned at that time.
Such was Tapu’s influence on keeping the Moriori culture alive that around 90 percent of what we know of Moriori language and culture passed through his hands.
The invasion of Rēkohu in 1835 and 1836 by two Taranaki tribes, Ngāti Mutunga and Ngāti Tama, decimated the Moriori population through genocide, enslavement and European disease.
Some died from “kongenge” or despair as they witnessed the defilement of their beliefs and culture. According to records compiled by elders, 1561 Moriori died between 1835 and 1863, when they were freed from slavery. (teara.govt.nz)
“The language and culture is where Māori were back in the 1970s. We are at ground zero. We have an opportunity to build from the ground up, with the language being spoken, performed and being relevant. We have sown the seeds and now they are starting to germinate.”
Mr Hammond hopes to return to Rēkohu next month.
“Language has to have a context that people can relate to in the same way as te reo.
“There is a lot of work to do, but the work is not hard, if the heart is willing.”
Hokotehi Moriori trustee Chas Taurima is at the forefront of this cultural and linguistic renaissance.
Mr Taurima has launched an app Ta Re Moriori where users can explore a variety of resources on Moriori including a dictionary, pronunciation guide and other tools.
He says he is “deeply passionate to bring the language back”.
“I would like to see our kids and grandkids engage in the culture and customs.”
Mr Taurima, who is based in Porirua, has whānau ties to Wairoa through his grandfather Willie Taurima from Nūhaka and his great-great grandfather Teiwirori Karauria, who was a full-blooded Moriori.
The mission of the HMT since its inception in 2001 is to revitalise the language and the culture of Moriori.
“Not a lot of people have been actively involved in the culture.
“They were colonised twice, by Pākehā and Māori, and the challenge with the language is there are no fluent speakers.
“Manuscripts and written articles come from a strong academic and Māori lens.”
A petition with nearly 3700 signatures for a Moriori Language Week is under way as more mainstream recognition is sought.
“Ta re is an indigenous language of New Zealand, but it does not have its own language week.”
At present, there are 13 officially recognised language weeks in Aotearoa New Zealand —Te Reo Māori, New Zealand Sign Language, Rotuman, Samoan, Kiribati, Solomon Islands Pidgin, Cook Islands Māori, Tongan, Papua New Guinea Tok Pisin, Tuvaluan, Fijian, Niuean, and Tokelauan.
“Language is a living thing and it evolves, so there is value in keeping it alive. We will do that regardless of whether it is 5000 or 10,000 signatures.
“It is about fighting for our identity and place in New Zealand.”
Dispelling myths about Moriori in New Zealand society is key to this revitalisation.
“We do not want people using our history as a way of not supporting Māori. We do not want to be politicised.”
One thousand people identify as Moriori, according to Stats NZ, but it has been hard to record information on ethnicity.
“Moriori is listed as a sub-category of a sub-category, and we want to make it easier in the future for those who identify as Moriori.”
Included is the repatriation of ancestors or karāpuna back to Rēkohu, which Mr Taurima was privy to on the last visit out of the blue.
“We had Moriori remains brought to the marae when we were there and that was good practice for future ceremonies, bringing them back home from where they were stolen.”
The future is bright for ta re Moriori but that is down to those who have gone before, says Mr Taurima.