Tihei: Lindisfarne College student a National champion

Lindisfarne College student, Heremia McGarvey, won the 'Pei Te Hurinui Jones' Senior Māori section of the National Ngā Manu Kōrero speech competitions 2022. Photo / Supplied

Lindisfarne College, Year 12 student, Heremia McGarvey, has won the 'Pei Te Hurinui Jones' Senior Māori section of the National Ngā Manu Kōrero speech competitions 2022.

Heremia follows in the footsteps of his father, Patrick McGarvey, who was the first winner of this prestigious award when he entered the speech competitions, representing Te Wharekura o Ruatoki in the early 1990s.

Ngā Manu Kōrero is regarded as the most significant event on the Māori education calendar for nurturing oratory skills. It provides the stage for young people to express their views and to lay down their challenges to an admiring and critical audience of peers, parents, whānau and judges.

The speech contests are intended to encourage the development of skills and confidence of Māori students in spoken English and te reo Māori.

All secondary schools are invited to participate in this wonderful event, noting that the Māori section is open to all students as part of a strategy to support everyone to learn and to speak in te reo Māori.

This year was the 57th year of the competition. Organisers made the decision to again hold the national event online.

Last year was the first time they trialled this format, due to Covid restrictions, and in light of the possibility of more Covid variations and surges, they decided that online was the safest option.

The four regional winners who represented Te Matau a Māui at the 2022 Ngā Manu Kōrero Nationals were:

- Junior English section, Ngatoiorangi Te Okota'i Mokotupu-Huata of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga

- Junior Māori section, Leilani Scruton-Nepe Apatu of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Ara Hou

- Senior English section, Lena Ormsby of Karamu High School

- Senior Māori section, Heremia McGarvey of Lindisfarne College.

Heremia is of Tūhoe descent and is a boarding student at Lindisfarne College in Hastings. He started his schooling there in 2019.

Heremia is a native speaker which means te reo Māori is his first language. He recalls being spoken to in Māori since birth.

"My dad only spoke Māori to me, so that's what I have learned," Heremia said.

"I attended Te Kohanga Reo when I was a toddler in Ruatoki and I chose to go to Lindisfarne College when I was about 12 or 13 years old."

This is the first time that a prestigious Māori award such as the National Manu Kōrero award has been won by a student of Lindisfarne College.

The school that has roughly 30 Māori students on its attendance roll of 530 has come a long way with its Māori department.

For many years the late Matua Reimana Johnson was a teacher and kaumātua for the school and before his retirement, he nurtured the current Kaiako Reo Māori, Pomare Sidney into the role. Pomare is pleased for Heremia and for Lindisfarne College.

When Heremia was asked what his aspirations were, he said he wasn't sure yet, but that coming to Lindisfarne was his choice. He sees it as an investment to further his knowledge and experience in a number of areas that will take him to places where he can further grow.

He says eventually all roads will lead him back to Ruatoki where he will inject his knowledge and aspirations into his community