Wiremu (Bill) Tutepuaki Kaua

The Kōhanga Reo movement turned 40 last year and Pāpā Bill was a founding Manager in the movement. He has watched the movement grow and prosper and had been a faithful servant of the kaupapa. The graduates of the Kōhanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa Māori, Wharekura and their whānau may well be wondering what life looks like moving forward after an investment in kaupapa Māori education - Bill’s long and varied career is an account which provides an interesting exploration of that question. He has lived with purpose, passion and a powerful mandate from his tīpuna to contribute to Aotearoatanga, nation building, in ways which they would recognise, honour and see the future in. Bill was a tireless advocate for the possibilities of ngā taonga tuku iho.

Bill’s legacy helps us all explore an insiders account of what living in the Māori world, in authentic ways, looks like. He could walk into any organisation in this country, onto any marae, be part of any kind of kaupapa that had Aotearoa at its heart and be at home. He knew people everywhere and was connected to kaupapa from his earliest working days to his most recent advice to Waitangi Tribunal Claims and organisations in which he was kaumātua. Why? Because he could genuinely connect with people: he cared deeply about humanity. He had a disarming way of setting people at ease, whatever the circumstances.

Governments around the world still struggle to create equitable public policy outcomes for Indigenous people. Bill's life opens up the role and status of the traditional Māori Cultural Infrastructure for all to see. Though subjected to relentless attack through colonization, Te Tirohanga Māori, the Māori Worldview, and the complex Māori cultural infrastructure which supports it, were not extinguished by colonization, and to this day support whānau, hapū and iwi to live as Māori, championing both mātauranga Māori and kaupapa Māori.

On Friday, June 24, 2022, when Aotearoa New Zealand celebrated Matariki publicly for the first time, Sir Pou Tamara spoke of NZ coming of age. Sometimes, learning about the lived experience of someone who has walked the pathway you aspire to, showing you the ‘what and how’ of change, as much as the why, is a much-needed tonic. Knowing and being around Bill was like that. For so many Bill was a beacon of hope, a repository of knowledge and wisdom borne of deep engagement in the possibilities of Te Tirohanga Māori, the Māori worldview.

At the level of lived experience, what Dr Wayne Ngata has termed ‘kia māori,’ Bill's story is an exemplar of the better Māori outcomes that successive governments in New Zealand have tried to achieve. E te pāpā e Bill, your story generates such powerful insights which so many have learnt from already across the decades of your public service.

You have been mentor, role model, tutor, pāpā, kaumātua, uncle and hoa haere to generations of officials. Your work has been an open book to those hungry to know about how to do their jobs better. Uncle Bill, they will all be reflecting on their special stories and moments with you. And there will be volumes of those memories shared in the coming months as people learn of your passing.

Haere rā ki runga i ngā rau mahara i te au kume o te aroha mōu e te pāpā moe mai rā.

E mihi ana ki a Dr Kathie Irwin mō ēnei kōrero iti pounamu.

Dorothy Taare-Smith  of Taonga Takiwātanga Charitable Trust

Nō te marama o Noema tū ai te hui taumata o ngā Kōhanga Reo o Te Tairawhiti, ki Te Poho o Rawiri Marae i Tūranga Nui A Kiwa. He mea whakarite tēnei hui e Kōkā Mihi Tashkoff, ētahi o ngā kaimahi o te tari-ā-rohe o Te Tairawhiti me ngā Kōhanga Reo o te taone o Turanga Nui A Kiwa. I tiakina te mauri o te kaupapa e Ngāti Oneone, e Kōkā Harata Gibson me tōna tira haere, me ngā tūtohu whenua o te rohe i karapoti i ngā manuhiri i haere mai i tawhiti, i haere hoki mai i tata.

E rua ngā rā i noho tahi ai te iwi me ōna manuhiri ki te wherawhera i ngā kaupapa huhua o te wā, otirā, i whakaritea ētahi kaikōrero matua e Kōkā Mihi mā ki te whakapuaki i ētahi tino kaupapa e hāngai pū ana ki ngā Kōhanga Reo katoa puta noa i te motu.

I te rangi tuatahi o te kaupapa, i tū a Dorothy Taare-Smith ki te whakapuaki i ngā kōrero mō te takiwātanga me ngā rautaki e whakangawari nei i te ara e mārama ai te tangata ki tēnei momo mate.

Hei tā Dorothy Taare-Smith, kaimahi mātauranga mō te Taonga Takiwātanga Charitable Trust; “Mā te whakaako i ngā whānau ki ngā rautaki takiwātanga e whai mārama ai rātou ki ngā hirahiratanga e tāea ana e tōna/ōna tamaiti. Nā Keri Opai, uri nō Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Te Ata, Waiohua me Ngāti Porou, te kupu ‘takiwātanga’ i hanga, otirā, e aro pū ana tēnei kupu ki te pitomata o te tamaiti, me te tuku i a ia ki te whakaoti i tāna e pai nei i te wā e tika ana māna.”

Kua roa ngā hōhipera me ngā tākuta o tauiwi e whakahau ana mā te kai rongoā pākeha anake ora ai te tamaiti takiwātanga, heoi anō, i tino kitea, i tino rāngona hoki te rerekē o tā te Māori titiro ki te takiwātanga, inarā, he Māori, he mārohirohi hoki ngā rautaki me ngā tuāpapa tiaki. Ko te mirimiri me te romiromi tētahi rautaki e tau ai te tamaiti takiwātanga, mā te whakarongo hoki ki ngā kupu ākī ā ngā kaumātua tētahi anō rautaki e whai mārama ai te pakeke ki te tamaiti takiwātanga. E kī ana te kōrero; “Tamaiti ākona ki te kaenga, tū ana ki te marae, tau ana!”, heoi anō, kia whakataukītia ake i konei; “Tamaiti tiakina i te marae, tū tau ana ki te ao, tau! Tau! Tau ana!”

I whāia te tū a Dorothy Taare-Smith e Nathan Mikaere Wallis, uri o Ngāi Tahu, me ōna kōrero mō ngā rangi 1000 tuatahi o te tamaiti, mai i tōna whakairatanga mai ki te kōpū.

Cathy Stuart, Bina Hepi, Heke Huata, Angus Hartley, Nathan Mikaere Willis
 

The Taumata o ngā Kōhanga Reo o Te Tairawhiti was held in the month of November at Te Poho o Rawiri Marae in Tūranga Nui a Kiwa, Gisborne. This hui was organised by Kōkā Mihi Tashkoff, Te Tairawhiti tari-ā-rohe and Kōhanga Reo based in Tūranga Nui A Kiwa. Ngāti Oneone kept the hui warm and welcoming with everyones Kōkā Harata Gibson and her team of familiar faces from the region embracing those who arrived as returning whānau (a home away from home).

The two-day hui focused on Kōhanga Reo and looked at the current environment within Kōhanga Reo with a focus on our Tamaariki and the development of mokopuna. The second day was to honour those who helped start the kaupapa within Ngāti Porou and those Ngāti Porou worked across the country.

Dorothy Taare-Smith  of Taonga Takiwātanga Cahritable Trust spoke about the Autism spectrum and the range of strategies applicable to understanding how it plays a part in teaching and learning for those who are Autistic.

Dorothy quotes; “Mā te whakaako i ngā whānau ki ngā rautaki takiwātanga e whai mārama ai rātou ki ngā hirahiratanga e tāea ana e tōna/ōna tamaiti”. “ By teaching our whānau some strategies around autism, this will inspire them to think how amazing their children are”.

Nā Keri Opai, uri nō Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Te Ata, Waiohua me Ngāti Porou, te kupu ‘takiwātanga’ i hanga, otirā, e aro pū ana tēnei kupu ki te pitomata o te tamaiti, me te tuku i a ia ki te whakaoti i tāna e pai nei i te wā e tika ana māna.”

Too long have hospitals and medical professionals who are not Māori proclaim that only Western prescribed medication and treatment can heal and give a liveable life to children with autism, however what was seen and heard was the difference in how Māori saw and approached autism. For Māori, the range of different approaches to providing care is unlike any other. Mirimiri and romiromi was one strategy that will settle an autistic child, as well as listening to the guidance of elders in how to engage is how adults become more aware of their child with autism. It is said “Tamaiti ākona ki te kaenga, tū ana ki te marae, tau ana!”, heoi anō, kia whakataukītia ake i konei; “Tamaiti tiakina i te marae, tū tau ana ki te ao, tau! Tau! Tau ana!”

Nathan Mikaere Wallis of Ngāi Tahu followed after Dorothy Taare-Smith with his discussion of the first 1000 days of conceiving a child, from inception to the womb. This was the most enthralling of all the presentations and probably the most controversial, in regard to child development.

That the first 31/2 years of a child’s development is the most significant and important stage of their life, that it sets the foundation for learning. This does not mean being taught but children are immersed in a stimulating and engaging environment right from the beginning.
 

 Ka hoki nei au ki Te Tarawhiti

E taki ana au i te papa tipu o Horouta Wānanga
Horouta Whanaunga
Hoki atu, hoki mai ki Te Tairawhiti e

He aha raa, he aha raa
He mahi moo runga i te marae e tuu nei
E ko te tui, e ko te tui
E ko te hono ki te Kotahitanga
Ki te Kiingi Maaori e tuu nei
E tuu nei i runga i te mana Maaori motuhake
E tuu nei
Whiti! Whiti! Whiti ki te tika! Whiti ki te ora!
Whiti ki te rangimaarie titia iho
Au! Au! Auee haa!
 

Nō te Rāhoroi 14 o Oketopa tuia ai a Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke ki te korowai motuhenga o te Pāti Māori o Aotearoa, hei Manukura mō te rohe o Hauraki Waikato. Nā tōna rohe tonu ia i tohu hei kopounga mō te tini, hei Manu Ariki Whakatakapōkai mō te mano, otirā, e māia ana ia ki te kawe i ngā haepapa tōrangapū, hei oranga mō te iwi Māori whānui. Ko Hana-Rawhiti te kaitōrangapū rangatahi rawa o Aotearoa i te Pāremata 54 o te motu, otirā, ko ia hoki te kaitōrangapū rangatahi rawa kua tohua ki te Whare Pāremata o Aotearoa i ngā tau 170 kua pahure ake nei.

He raukura a Hana-Rawhiti, uri nō Waikato, Ngāti Porou, Te Āti Awa me Ngāpuhi, nō Te Wharekura o Raakaumangamanga, tētahi o ngā Kura-ā-Iwi o Waikato atu i Raahui Pookeka. I a ia i te kura tonu, i puta i a Hana-Rawhiti tētahi pukapuka e kōrero ana mō te maramataka Māori, ko Maahina te ingoa. He mea whakaaweawe a Hana-Rawhiti e Toihuarewa Rangi Mataamua, tohunga mātai whetu nō Ngāi Tūhoe, otirā, he āhuatanga tēnei e whakaū ana i tā Hana-Rawhiti whakamau, whakatīna, whakaora anō hoki i ngā taonga katoa o te ao Māori.

Mō te Māori o te tū me te nui o te whakapono ki ngā rautaki kōkiri ā te Māori, kāore he painga i a Hana. Ahakoa ngā taumahatanga o te wā me ngā whakawhiu ā tēnā ngākau whakapono kore, ā tēnā ngākau whakaweti, ka tū hūmārie tonu a Hana-Rawhiti ki te kauhau i ngā reka o te ao Māori, me te whakaatu i ngā take e whitawhita tonu nei te ahi o tēnā ngākau whakapono me tēnā manawa tītī.

I te Tūrei 12 o Hakihea i tū a Hana-Rawhiti ki te mura o te ahi, ki te rua whakatara tonu o te whare Pāremata, ki te tuku i tana kauhau tuatahi. I tautokohia a Hana-Rawhiti e tōna whānau, e ōna hoa, e tōna kura, e ōna pakeke me ngā kaitautoko o Te Pāti Māori, otirā, i rāngona te wairua o ngā tīpuna i tāmihia e te Kāwanatanga i ngā tau kua pahure ake nei.

Hei tā Hana-Rawhiti; “Hikohiko te uira, papā ana te whatitiri, whakahekeheke ana mai i te Kōhanga ki runga o Pāremata. I was happy planting my kūmara and learning about maramataka, but this house (Parliament House) kept tampering with things they shouldn't be touching… and that's why I left the māra to come here. Everytime you hear my voice, it will echo my ancestors. Everytime you look me in the eyes, you will see the children that survived.” I oati a Hana ki te whakareanga e haramai nei e kore rawa ia e tuku kia tūkinotia rātou, ahakoa te nui me te anuanu o ngā whakawhiu, otirā, i kī taurangi a Hana ki te pakepake mō te kōrerotia o te reo Māori me te āhukahukatanga o ngā tikanga Māori, me kore noa e tūpono ka riro anō ki te ringa tāmi ā te Kāwanatanga.

On Saturday 14th October, Hana Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke was officiated as the new Pāti Māori o Aotearoa as MP for the Hauraki Waikato electorate. She was appointed as such by her own people, to be the commanding force for her people, and with the understanding that her role as a politician will bring change for all Māori. Hana-Rawhiti is the youngest member of parliament in Aotearoa within the 54th formed Government, as well as being the youngest member of parliament in Aotearoa who has been conferred in the last 170 years.  

Hana-Rawhiti is a raukura, descendant of Waikato, Ngāti Porou,Te Āti Awa and Ngāpuhi tribes. She also attended Te Wharekura o Raakaumangamanga a kura ā-iwi based in Raahui Pookeka, Huntly. While still at kura, Hana-Rawhiti was latched to a book about maramataka Māori, titled Maahina. Hana-Rawhiti acknowledges it was because of Professor Rangi Mataamua, an expert of star lore and Māori astronomy of Ngāi Tūhoe. It is because of that, Hana-Rawhiti was ignited to take hold, embody and reinvigorate the greatness that te ao Māori has to offer.  

For a Māori to have such a belief in the meticulous and strategic approach for Māori to succeed, there is no one other than Hana. Despite the many challenging times and the efforts of those who are ill hearted and ignorantly violent toward her, Hana-Rawhiti continues to remain resilient and true to ensuring the wonder of te ao Māori and what it offers is shared to all. In doing so, demonstrates what keeps the flame ignited of those who remain true to the Māori people.  

On Tuesday 12th December, Hara-Rawhiti stood to deliver her first maiden speech in the parliamentary debating chamber as a newly elected member of parliament. Hana-Rawhiti was supported by her family, friends, school, elders and supporters of Te Pāti Māori, while resonating with the spiritual recollection of the ancestors past who were oppressed by past Governments. As quoted by Hana-Rawhiti;  “Hikohiko te uira, papā ana te whatitiri, whakahekeheke ana mai i te Kōhanga ki runga o Pāremata. I was happy planting my kūmara and learning about maramataka, but this house (Parliament House) kept tampering with things they shouldn't be touching… and that's why I left the māra to come here. Everytime you hear my voice, it will echo my ancestors. Everytime you look me in the eyes, you will see the children that survived.” Hana swore an oath to the next generation that she will never allow anyone to harm them, however big or ugly the threats may be, Hana remained adamant and swore to speak te reo Māori and to have tikanga Māori be recognised in all spaces so that it may never be erradicated at the hands of those in power within Government.  
 

E ara, e Hana, whakatika rā ki runga, ki ngā taumata tiketike o te maunga e piki nei koe. Whakamaua tō heru hāpai me tō arero tīpuna, kia puta ai te ihu pukeke i te rua o Whiro. Whakatutūngia te puehu, kia kite ngā taniwha o te rua whakatara i tō māia, me te kaha o tō iwi e tū nei hei taituarā mōu, otirā, kia tau ngā hē o onamata, kia kaua anō te Kāwanatanga e hē ki inamata nei, ki anamata rānei, kaua rawa rā e tuku kia pahawa noa te hohoutanga o te rongo. E ara, e Hana e. 

40 tau ki muri nei ka whakawhiti atu ngā kātua rehe o te kaupapa o te Kōhanga reo ki Hawaii ki te whakaoreore i te iwi taketake tō rātou reo, ki a rātou tikanga ka mutu ka tū ko ngā Pūnana Leo ki runga o ngā moutere.

Ko Tā Tāmati Reedy tēra, ko Nanny Kuini Moehau, ko te hau tipua a Richard Benton nāna ngā rangahau whakaoreore i te iwi ki te whakapūmau i te reo taketake ki waenga ia rātou. Koinei te tira i tae mai ki te whare ō te Kōhanga Reo ara ko ngā ūpoko o te Pūnana Leo o Hawaii.

Ko te autāiatanga o piringa he taurahere anō i ā tātou ki ō tātou taura here whānaunga, taura here reo, taura here kaupapa. Kia kite ai tātou i ngā ngoikoretanga i ngā pakaritanga te arā i takahia e ngā kaupapa whakarauora reo ehara I te waka hourua tēnei engari e hoe ana tātou I te waka kotahi, e puāwai te whakaaro ki te whāngaihia te mokopuna ki te reo ka tū tangata ia ka tū māia ia ki te ao.

Nō reira koirā tētahi o ngā tino kupu hāhani nei i ngā tau, ka ngoikore ka kore hāhā te tamaiti ako I te reo Māori. Kātahi tātou ka kite i ngā painga o te hui nei, he whakakotahi i ngā hua o ēnei kaupapa e kite ai tātou i te āpōpō.

In the month of October, in partnership with Manatū Taonga and Te Tairāwhiti Arts Festival, Piksies Melody Ltd presented Whakapaupakihi, the new reo Māori musical theater show in its much-anticipated development season! The exciting new te reo Māori musical was showcased at the War Memorial Theatre in Gisborne from the 12-15 of October.

Whakapaupakihi captures the epic story of three brothers, Taua-i-te-Rangi, Māhaki-Ewe-Karoro, Hauiti and their roles in the establishment of tribal groupings spanning Te Tairāwhiti (East Coast region). Set in a magical new world, Whakapaupakihi introduces ancient oratory reformatted for new generations and twenty-first century audiences.

Whakapaupakihi boasted a cast of professional kaihaka and actors from across the motu, presenting a dynamic and riveting show that progressed from its pre-production reading to development season. This cast included exceptional performers such as Erena Koopu, artist, kaihaka and kaiako at the Toihoukura School of Māori Visual Arts, Maaka Pohatu, actor, musician and member of the Modern Māori Quartet, Awhimai Fraser, actress and professional singer and many others.

Act one is set in a utopian like world. Iranui, the raining leader of the land, mother to Taua, Mahaki and Hauiti, has the ability to manipulate the elements gifted to her by 4 goddesses – Paraweranui, Mahuika, Rona & Hineahuone.  The powers are gifted to support the 4 nations under the protection of Iranui.  These nations are Ngāi Auahikā, the law enforcers, defenders, and most feared warriors, Ngāti Kurawaka, the growers, hunters, caretakers, and builders, Te Whānau Waikura, the healers, the divers, and expert net makers and Te Poho o Haunui, the most sacred nation and the source of the power’s existence.  Only Iranui is of this nation.

As the musical progresses the three brothers come to an age where they are gifted by their mother the power to manipulate an element. Whakapaupakihi follows the story of Hauiti, youngest of the three brothers, and we learn that he is special and has been given the power to manipulate two elements, unbeknownst to him and everyone else. This causes a great divide between Hauiti and the whānau, forcing Hauiti to take on the mantle of leadership.

In the second act time has passed, and Whakapaupakihi is in a Mad-Max like setting after multiple battles between the siblings. Hauiti defeats and banishes his brothers from the land, pushing Taua and Mahaki out, which in effect creates the spread of the people, and in time creates the tribes of the East Coast of New Zealand.

Ani-Piki Tuari says there are three key reasons she and her siblings created Whakapaupakihi. The first reason is to remind everyone of how epic our ancestors and their stories are, the second is to create the Māori Marvel for our children and the third is to write and perform a work in our first language, te reo Māori.

Tame Hoake Tuari says that being raised away from Te Tairawhiti, he and his siblings were never exposed to all their oral histories. Now, having children himself, he and his siblings are dedicated to sharing these stories to the next generation and beyond.

Hamiora Tuari says that he and his siblings wanted to create Whakapaupaupakihi together because they all have different skill sets that contribute to the artform of theater. He and his siblings are all classically trained musicians and exponents in Kapa Haka.

Tame Hoake is a visual artist with a Masters degree in Māori Visual Arts, Ani-Piki is an actor, a film and television director with a Master of Art degree in Māori Theatre, their brother, Tatana, is a music teacher and Hamiora is a music artist and has a degree in musical theater. 

The wider Whakapaupakihi team has vast knowledge and experience in large-scale productions both nationally and internationally, and eventually, the Tuari siblings would love to present Whakapaupakihi on main stages across Aotearoa and overseas, as this is one of the first te reo Māori musicals in the world.
 

Ko tō manawa, ko tōku manawa, he manawanui ki te iwi.

I tū te Korowaitanga o Te Tai Tokerau ki Mokau Marae kei te taha moana kei ngā pāringa o Ngāti Wai. He marae kua hoki ora mai i te ahi koinei te wā tuatahi kua tae mai te Korowaitanga ki konei.

I tukunga te pānui ki te rohe engari i ohorere tonu te ngākau ki te kite i te tini me te mano i tae atu ki te whakanui i te hui. Mai waho ki roto i rangona te mahanga o te hau kainga me ngā iwi i tae tautoko atu. Kāti ko tēnei hui kī ana i te manu pīrere, he tohu pai he tohu o te ora.

E mihi ana ki te katoa i korowaitia i taua rā me ngā whānau i tae atu ki te tautoko muia ana te pā e te aroha me te harikoa, e kī ana te kōrero i ahu mai te Kōhanga Reo i te Marae me Marae tōna āhua.

I huihui ngā rau tangata ki Te Kōhanga Reo o Raumanga Kōhungahunga ki te whakanui i nga mahi kua tūtaki i tēnei Kōhanga i ngā tau 40 kua taha ake nei.

Te ataahua hoki o te tū o ngā Kōhungahunga i mua i o rātou whānau, te hāpori o Whangārei me ngā tauira o ngā Kura o Whāngarei.

E mihi kau atu ana ki te kāhui whakahaere i tū i tēnei kaupapa whakahirahira, mō te whakaaro kotahi, kia whakamana i ngā mokopuna o naianei, o nehe rā hoki.  Ka mutu, kia whakamana i ngā Kaiako kua tūtuki i te tū o tēnei Kōhanga.

Ngā waiata, papa takaro, Whakaari, kai, peitapeita – miharo te katoa!

I te Pāraire te 1 o Tihema 2023. I whakanui mātou i te whā tekau tau (40) o te Te Kōhanga Reo o Moerewa ki Taumatamakuku.

I hirahira te rā i tae mai te tini me te mano ki te whakanui i ngā mahi o te whakarauoratanga o tō tātou reo i raro i te tāhuhu o te orokohanga o te kohanga reo.

I rawe te kite atu i te whakaaro nui mō ngā tamariki mokopuna. Mai i te orokohanga o tēnei Kōhanga Reo tae noa atu ki ngā kaimahi me ngā tauira. Ka mutu i tuku hoki ētahi tāonga ki te purapura o kii Taumarere, nā te mea, mei kore rātou e kore ko mātou. I whakatō ki te whenua i tētahi rākau Kōwhai hei tohu i te whā tekau tau o te Kōhanga Reo o Moerewa. Ā muri i horahia ngā tēpu ki tētahi hākari namunamuā, kātahi rā te hākari ko tērā!!
 

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou i tae ā- tinana mai. 

"He tāonga te reo, he tino tāonga te mokopuna"