Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week - meaningful words and phrases

Te Kuru o te Marama Dewes. Photo / Charles Brooks

To mark Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) from September 13, Canvas asked prominent people in activism, journalism, the arts, literature and sport, 'You are a word or a phrase in te reo - what are you and why does this resonate?' As told to Delilah Pārore Southon (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Roroa, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Pukenga).

Te Kuru o te Marama Dewes (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Rangitihi)

Tino rangatiratanga is at the core of who we are as Māori. It is at the centre of our existence and all of our cultural expressions. It's the foundation of our survival against brutal colonial annexation that continues to permeate through society today. Tino rangatiratanga is having the right to determine our future as Māori, as we seek equitable outcomes for our people, and strive to uplift those who have been alienated and marginalised. Tino rangatiratanga is celebrating Māori language and culture as being unique to Aotearoa. It's about fortifying the culture, the intricate knowledge within it and the value-based principles that guide it, from being diluted and absorbed into a homogenised social group. Tino rangatiratanga is having the right to continue to act as guardians over our lands, forests, mountains, lakes, rivers and seas, as we have done for more than 20 generations. Tino rangatiratanga is the reason Māori exist today and it is the reason we will remain. Aotearoa will not fulfil its true potential until tino rangatiratanga is recognised, so it's imperative that all New Zealanders begin to try and comprehend what it means, because what's good for Māori is good for Aotearoa.

Te Kuru o te Marama Dewes is a freelance journalist, content creator and cultural adviser.

T. K. Roxborogh

T.K. Roxborogh - (Ngāti Porou and Ngāti Mutunga o Wharekauri)

Kāore he kūmara e kōrero i tōnā reka. The kūmara does not sing of its (own) sweetness so, with this whakataukī in mind, I hope people who know me well would agree that, if I were a te reo Māori word, it would be the verb "manaaki". It means to help, encourage, support, by standing alongside another. I am who I am and where I am today because of the amazing manaaki of my teachers, friends, peers, whānau. In my role as a teacher, I see it as my responsibility to help students realise their potentiality and their best selves. I love that "mana" front-ends the word – suggesting that the action is all about respecting and honouring the worth – the spiritual power – of a person. The suffix "aki", according to linguist Aoife Finn, "is one of the few te reo words to hold on to the Polynesian suffix" and in Samoan and Tuvalu means "reciprocal", so this action is mana-enhancing for both the person who is doing the action and the one at the receiving end. I flourish when I am supported by others and I fulfill my purpose when I stand alongside and encourage those who are in need.

T.K. Roxborogh is an English teacher and the author of more than 30 books. Her latest novel, Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea, won the Margaret Mahy Book of the Year at the 2021 New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults.

Dr Hinemoa Elder.

Dr Hinemoa Elder (Te Aupōuri, Ngāti Kurī, Te Rarawa, Ngāpuhi nui tonu)

Aroha. Tēnei ahau o te kāhui kuaka, ka mihi atu ki te motu whānui.
Ko te waka kuaka tētahi tohu aroha whakaohooho ki a Te Aupōuri. Koia ngā mahi whakamanawa a te kuaka, koia ētahi o ngā tohu aroha i te ao Māori. Ka whakaaweawetia tātou e te ao tūroa, me ngā hua e tohua ana e te aroha.
Ina koa, nā te aroha te mamae i ngingihā, nā te aroha te puna roimata i māringi, nā te aroha ka rongohia te mokemoke. Anō te aroha ka whakaihiihi i a tātou ki tō tātou reo Māori. E mea ana te kōrero, "titiro, whakarongo".
Ko te aroha te kaiurungi o tō tātou waka. E rua ngā taha o te waka whakaora ake i te reo Māori, ko te reo me ngā tikanga, pēnā e taki tahi ana ngā kaihoe o ngā taha e rua ka rere tika te waka. Tērā tētahi mātauranga tuku iho ki a tātou te reanga o iaianei.
Kei kōnā tētahi whakataukī, "ko te kaupapa waka ki te moana hoe ai, ko te kāhui atua ki te rangi rere ai". Ka hoe tonu tātou, ngā tauira o te reo, me kī, ngā kaihoe o Te Waka Reo, he waka ora, he waka pono.
Tukua te reo hei whakarongotanga mā te tini, tukua te reo hei kōrerotanga mā te mano, hāpaitia te reo Māori kia arohatia.

Dr Hinemoa Elder is a psychiatrist.

Portia Woodman.

Portia Woodman (Ngāpuhi)

I would describe myself as mana whakatipu. Mana whakatipu is acquired leadership - power and status accrued through one's leadership talents, mana resulting from strength of character and force of will; and the means a leader has to enforce those wishes. When we're in our team environment I try to make sure our girls feel welcome. I am a leader, however, I have made a fair few mistakes in my time so I consider myself a leader who is open and supportive. I definitely think that all our rangatahi have the capabilities of mana whakatipu. With all our tikanga and whakaaro Māori we have within all of us. Within our team environment we have incorporated a lot of our Te Ao Māori into our values and that is what makes us a team like no other. I believe anyone that has stepped foot on to a marae knows the importance of mana whakatipu and how it can be utilised for their full potential.

Portia Woodman is a New Zealand Rugby Union player in both 15-aside and seven-aside.

Tainui Tukiwaho.

Tainui Tukiwaho (Te Arawa, Tūhoe)

Anyone who was enjoying their late teens or early 20s at the turn of the century like I was will probably know Dragon Ball Z. You're probably guilty of or know someone guilty of screaming, with unfettered passion Goku's signature move, KĀMEHAMEHA! I think Dragon Ball Z took the word from its Hawaiian origin (although it does have a Japanese meaning), but for me it was always a Māori word. How I loved hearing one of our words in a Japanese manga spewing from the mouths of powerful heroes. This was at a time when our reo didn't really have a global presence beyond the haka, so I took what I could get. In te reo Māori, Kāmehameha means precious, like our language is precious, like that memory of Goku speaking Māori is precious, like more opportunities to share our language is precious. I don't know if this is the word I would be, but it's a wonderful word I think we should all know. If you do end up rewatching Dragon Ball Z, I hope you have a giggle at how absurd it is watching these characters screaming "PRECIOUS!" while battling each other.

Tainui Tukiwaho and the team at Te Pou Theatre are presenting a hybrid version of their Kōanga Festival, with a range of digital offerings. Kōanga Festival is a celebration of Māori storytelling, centred on their emerging playwright programme. Te Pou have extended the planned dates for this year's festival, now running from September 23 – October 9.

Pania Newton.

Pania Newton (Ngāpuhi, Te Rarawa, Waikato, Ngāti Mahuta)

The word that resonates with me the most would be kaitiakitanga. A word for now, and a word I strive towards and will continue to strive with. As a kaitiakitanga myself, this is something that I am in the pursuit of fulfilling everyday. Kaitiakitanga for my whānau, hapu, marae, iwi and our taiao. Being a kaitiaikatanga is my passion, my purpose, and my destiny. My actions have been consistent with my belief about the importance of being a "good kaitiaki". Heritage for me is anything that is valued by communities that speaks to the past and informs our future. Given the cultural significance of our land at Ihumatao and its unique history I saw it as my responsibility to fight for its preservation. Being a kaitiakitanga enhances my sense of place, belonging and identity. I remain committed to my advocacy and my role as kaitiaki for the adversities faced and the sacrifices made to pursue justice for the land, the environment and future generations who will ultimately contribute to a better Aotearoa.

Pania Newton is a New Zealand lawyer and activist for Māori land rights. Her path through life has led her to finding her purpose, her kaupapa: protecting the whenua, Ihumatao. She now dedicates her time to hui and the occupation of Ihumatao land.