Te Wiki o te Reo Māori: The ‘internal yearning’ that drove a Hawke’s Bay author back to te reo

Electrician turned author Hira Nathan shares his te reo journey. Photo / Jason Oxenham

“Kia u ki te pai, kia whai hua ai. Hold on to what is good and good things will follow.”

This isn’t the slogan for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, but it would certainly be a good one.

These are actually the words on the cover of Hawke’s Bay-born electrician turned author Hira Nathan’s (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Tuwharetoa and Ngāpuhi) now-bestselling bilingual journal Whakawhetai Gratitude, and the author knows all too well about the importance te reo has today.

“I think there’s this big drive for more acceptance of Māori knowledge and tikanga,” he told Hawke’s Bay Today.

“One of the reasons I wanted to write the journal in te reo was because I was on my own te reo journey. It was a way for me to use te reo every day.”

Whakataukī (proverbs), Takune (intend) and Whakawhetai (gratitude) are just some of the common words people would become accustomed to as they filled out their journals.

“Anyone that uses the journal that can’t speak any reo can easily navigate it. By the end, it turns into full reo and you’ll be able to understand the words by the halfway point if you’re doing it every day.”

Nathan’s own te reo journey started as a child, growing up in Hastings with his whānau.

He went to kohanga reo (language nest/immersion school) in the early 80s but after finishing found, that there was no pathway to go to kura (Māori language school).

“I went to mainstream school and that’s where my reo journey stopped.”

It wasn’t until he was an adult that he felt the need to return to the waka and continue his journey.

“I guess it was just an internal yearning, I felt like something was missing. I was in touch with my Māoritanga (Māori culture) and knew all about customs and protocols but didn’t have the reo so there was this gap.

“I felt like I needed to learn that reo to be complete.”

Nathan’s advice for those wanting to get into the language is to be open to opportunities and take them when it feels right.

“Everything happens at the right time. You might not be ready tomorrow, but you might be ready next year.

“The best time to plant a seed was yesterday and the second-best time was today.”

Hesitant Kiwis could also take a leaf out of his colleagues’ book.

“I’m working on a project in Auckland that’s run by a French company. Even some of my French colleagues have used the journal and said how they’ve learned some new words and how they’ve enjoyed learning some reo.”

Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in late January. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community. He has a particular love for stories about ordinary people doing extraordinary things.