Chey Milne: Language of life driven home

Dr Patu Hohepa .

This week an experience of mine has highlighted the lessons we can learn from kaumatua and kuia.

In a funny story, although not funny at the time, I found myself stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Following a Kura Reo in Northland last week, I was given the task of taking revered kaumatua and rangatira Dr Patu Hopepa from the wananga in isolated Pawarenga to his home in Waima. When we arrived there I was treated to a cup of tea and made to feel welcome. Although pleasant, I was forced to leave as the day was coming to an end and I needed to be in Hamilton the next morning for my grandmother's PhD graduation. Imagine my shock and horror to find my car would not start.

After an hour or so of Dr Patu and me staring at my engine, AA arrived and advised that they would have to pick it up in the morning. Needless to say I was in a pickle. Stuck, and low on options Patu came to the rescue. "Boy," he said, "you can take my car."

I was speechless and taken aback, firstly because my now immobile car was stuck in his driveway, but more importantly because this kaumatua was kind enough to entrust his car, for however long I needed it, to a young man he had only met a few times. I was truly amazed and most of all humbled.

In this hard and fast world, this simple act of aroha and manaakitangata made me think about what is important. We go to Kura Reo to reclaim our language and to revive te reo Maori, but do we truly value and practise what it means to be Maori? Where do we go to find the understanding that this kaumatua demonstrated with his generosity and trust? I realised that these lessons don't necessarily have to happen at a wananga or on a marae. In a driveway at Waima or walking along Tutanekai St, our kaumatua and kuia pass on this precious knowledge by living and practising it every day. It's ours for the learning if we care to look for it.

Chey Milne is one part of Te Arawa FM's breakfast crew.

Maori translation:

I tenei wiki ma roto mai i tetahi wheako whaiaro, i kitea te tauira o tenei mea te kaumatua me te kuia. He korero whakakata, hakoa kahore i pera rawa i taua wa, i waenganui ahau i te kohatu me te wahi maro.

I te kura reo i tu ki Te Tai Tokerau i riro maku te rangatira nei a Takuta Patu Hohepa e whakahoki mai i te wananga i Pawarenga ki tona kainga i Waima. No te taenga atu ki kona i whakatangatawhenuahia ahau ma te kapu ti me te kai a te rangatira. Hakoa te tau o te noho, i te pau haere te wa ki a au ki te piki ki Kirikiriroa mo te whakapotaetanga o toku kuia. Ae marika, ponana katoa ana i te kore timata o toku waka.

Ka pau ana te haora i a maua ko Patu e titiro noa ana ki taku iniana ka tae mai a AA me te ki e kore e taea te aha, a, me hoki mai i te ata ki te kohi i te waka. Marama ana te kite, i te raru pai ahau i tera. I kona kitea ai te rangatira o Patu me tana ki "e tama, mau toku waka"

Ohorere katoa ahau i tenei. Ta te mea, i tona kainga toku waka e mate ana ka tahi, ka rua, ko te ahua o tenei koha nui ki a au me tona whakapono ki a au ano hoki. Ki reira ahau noho whakaiti marika ai.

No te roa o te haere ki Tamaki i tera po, i whai wahi ai au ki te ata whakaaro i nga hua o tera wheako i roto tonu i te waka o Takuta Patu Hohepa.

I te ahua o tenei ao hurihuri, na roto mai i te tukunga o te koha o te aroha me tenei mea te manaaki tangata ka whakaaro ake, he aha ra te mea nui. He rite tonu to tatou haere ki te kura reo whakarauora ai, ako ai ano hoki i te reo Maori.

Heoi ka pehea enei uara e Maori ai tatou? Ki hea haere ai tatou kia tau ai te maramatanga o enei koha nui penei i te atawhai me te whakapono i whakatauirahia e te kaumatua nei?
I marama ake au, ehara i te mea me haere ra ano ki te wananga, ki te marae ranei mo enei hua.

Kei te ara waka o tetahi kainga ki Waima, kei te huarahi o Tutanekai, kei nga wahi katoa o tatou kaumatua, kuia, e whakaatu ana enei momo uara. Kei kona ma tatou, heoi ano, me puare nga kanohi kia kitea.