Swap the first vowel in your name with the letter u. If the first vowel in your name is u, swap it with the letter a. Now, imagine you’re sitting in class on your first day at a new school. You wait as the teacher reads the roll. You’re ready for your chance to chime …
“Why are we listening to this monkey language?” Said the racists in Paraparaumu standing next to our tamariki.
It’s not just pride in overcoming that anxiety when I kōrero Māori. It’s hope for the future and respect for the past. Every time I stumble slowly over te reo Māori instead of the language caned into my Nana, it’s for her. My words pay respect to the price she paid for the chance to speak our tongue, going back. Those words reach out in hope for you and maybe your tamariki and uri, to feel that connection and place in the world, going forward.