August 2014
Te Reo
Nikki Phillips
Ki te pīrangi te Hāhi Katorika ki te hāpai i te reo rangatira mō āke āke, kei te Hāhi Katorika ngā kura me ngā kāreti me te kāreti mō ngā pirihi hoki ki te hāpai i te reo Māori. Ki tōku nei whakaaro, kei te Hāhi Katorika tōna ake tikanga ki te hāpai i te reo Māori. E ai ki tōku wairua e inoi ana ki tō tātou Atua Matua he tongarerewa te reo Māori, he reo tūturu o tēnei whenua.
Kāore e kore, kua hapaitia te reo Māori e ngā kura kaupapa Māori me ngā kura kaupapa Katorika Māori hoki arā ko ngā Kareti o Hāto Pāora, Hāto Pētera, Hāto Hōhepa, ētahi kura hoki. Engari, kei hea te tūranga waewae o te reo Māori ki ngā kura Katorika katoa o tēnei whenua. Ko te āhua nei, kei te wātaka kaupapa te hē (timetable clashes). Hoi anō, tērā pea tokoiti ngā akonga i ngā akomanga te reo Māori i ngā Kāreti.
He aha te raruraru? He aha te rongoā? Kāore au i te pīrangi ki te whakatakoto i ngā raruraru, ā, kāore e whakatakoto i ngā rongoā.
Mārakerake ana te kitea, ko te rongoā, hāpaitia te reo Māori i ngā kāreti Katorika ki tōna maunga teitei rite tonu ki te reo Ingarihi. He akoranga me mātua tutuki te reo Ingarihi, ā, he akoranga me mātua tutuki hoki te reo Māori. Ko tērā tētahi rongoā.
Ānei he kaupapa anō, ko tōku wawata, kei ngā kete o ngā akonga i ngā kura Katorika katoa ngā īnoi Katorika i te reo Māori me te reo rotarota me te reo Ingarihi hoki.
Tirohia. Whakaarotia. Tīkina ngā rongoa. Horomia ngā rongoā ahakoa he aha te kawa ki ētahi ka ora ai te reo Māori. Ka hāpaitia te reo Māori e te Hāhi Katorika, ā, ka hāpaitia te Hāhi Katorika. Na Hēhu i mea ‘Ko ahau te huarahi, te pono, te ora’ (Hoani 14:6), e ai ki tōku wairua e īnoi ana ki tō tātou Ariki, mā te pono ka ora ai te reo Māori i tēnei Hāhi.
Ko Hēhu te huarahi.
Nikki Phillips is Turanga Maori Advisor for the Archdiocese of Wellington.
In English:
Lift up the Māori Language
If the Catholic Church wants to uplift the Māori language forever, the Church has schools, Colleges and the Seminary to evelate the Māori language. I think the Catholic church has it’s own choice to make to elevant Māori language. According to my spirit when I am praying to God the Father, the Māori language is an absolute treasure, the authentic language of this land. Without a doubt, the status of the Māori language is raised in kaupapa Māori schools and in Catholic Colleges that are also kaupapa Māori such as Hāto Pāora College, Hāto Pētera College and St Joseph’s Māori Girls College, as well perhaps within other schools. But, where is the standing place of the Māori language in other Catholic schools of this land. It appears as if in some cases, the subject timetable is the fault. Accordingly, maybe there are few students in te reo Māori classes in the Colleges.
What is the problem? What is the remedy? I don’t want to lay out the problems and not also lay out the remedies. However it is clear to see, the remedy is to lift up the Māori language in Catholic colleges to it’s lofty mountain just like the English language. Where English is a compulsory subject, Māori language should also be. That is one potential remedy.
And another thing, it is my dream for all students who attend a Catholic school to be able to pray Catholic prayers in English, Māori and in NZ sign language.
Look, think, find the remedies, swallow the remedies no matter the sourness to some people, from this the Māori language will be made well. When the Māori language is elevated by the Catholic Church, the Catholic Church will be elevated. Jesus said ‘I am the way the truth and the life’ (John 14:6), according to my spirit praying to our Lord, from the truth, the Māori language will live in this Hāhi.
Jesus is the way.