Te Kura Akōranga Māori o NSW
Whakatauki
"E kore au e ngaro. He kakano i ruia mai i Rangiatea."
The NSW MSOL has adopted this ancient whakatauki (saying) because it seems so appropriate to us. Like all whakatauki the meaning is so much more than just the literal translation of the words used. Literally it translates as: “I shall never be lost. For I am a seed sown in Rangiatea”. However a deeper look shows that this translation is really inadequate.
We believe this whakatauki encompasses the aims and objectives of the NSW MSOL. Māori are a transient people. Our tupuna journeyed from Hawaiki (aka Rangiatea, Tahiti) to Aotearoa but never forgot where they came from. They always acknowledged that Hawaiki was their homeland, and firmly believed that they would return there when they passed from this world to the next.
Similarly Māori today are also transient – being spread all over the globe. Outside of NZ – Australia has the greatest concentration of Māori people. Some are here for short periods, others have made their homes here, and others were born and bred here. Irrespective of these things, they are all Māori. The blood of our tupuna flows through their veins, they are the seeds scattered from Rangiatea (he kākano ahau i ruia mai i Rangiatea).
A brief look at the meanings of the word ‘ngaro’ shows that the word has numerous meanings: eg disappear, lost, destroyed, unnoticed, forgotten, beaten.
This whakatauki says to our people – even though you are scattered far from your homeland (Rangiatea/Hawaiki - for Māori in Australia Aotearoa), you shall not perish/be lost/ forgotten/ beaten/ destroyed/ go unnoticed, because your roots (the place where you draw strength and nourishment) are in Rangiatea.
We think this is an important message to our whanaunga here in Australia – that even though they no longer make their home in Aotearoa (which can be likened to Hawaiki/Rangiatea) they will not be lost or forgotten because Rangiatea is a part of who they are. It is in their blood, it is passed on to them from their tupuna. Even though they may have been born or raised in Australia, through their connection to their tupuna their roots are in Rangiatea.
About Te Kura Akōranga Māori o NSW (NSW Māori School Of Learning)
We are a non-profit group which provides programmes of Māori learning for the NSW community.
We currently operate a Māori Language School called "Te Reo Maioha ki Poihakena" which is in its fourth year.
In the future we hope to offer classes in other areas of Māori learning for example: kapahaka, traditional weaving such as tāniko and kete whakairo, and possibly even a kohanga reo.
We would love to hear from you if you are interested learning about any other areas of Māoritanga. But please bear in mind we can only branch out if there is enough interest in these areas.
Who are we?
Kaumatua – Hira te Rangi Pumamao Herewini
Hira was born in Tihoi just north of Lake Taupo in 1933. His father’s whakapapa is a direct line to Ngatoroirangi, his mother’s line is a direct line to Tainui.
Hira provides the Committee, and the Kura as a whole with advice and guidance in all areas of decision making. His wisdom, experience, and sense of humour is invaluable in ensuring that we as a Kura maintain our integrity and incorporate tikanga Maaori in our vision for the future.
Member and Te Reo Maioha ki Poihakena kaiako – Trevor (Tarewa) Paringatai
Tarewa-tu-ki-te-Rangi (Trevor) Paringatai is of Ngaati Porou and Ngaati Kahungunu descent born in Turanganui-a-Kiwa (Gisborne) and raised on a dairy farm in Wharekahika (Hicks Bay) He did his secondary schooling at Hato Paora Māori Boys College, Fielding.
From 1981 – 2004 he was a member of the Nga Karere Māori Cultural Group in Wellington spending a few years as its Chairperson and spokesperson.
In 2001 he obtained a Diploma in Kura Kaupapa teaching from Te Wananga o Raukawa before spending two years being trained as a second language teacher of Te Reo Māori for adults using the Te Ataarangi method by Haimona Winterburn from Te Reo Maioha in Otaki. In 2004 he helped set up a Kura Reo at the Te Kainga Marae, Kilbirnie Wellington. During this same period he spent time on the Hato Paora Trust Board as an Old Boys rep and also filling in for short period as the Hostel Manager. In 2005 he came over to Poihakena to help setup the current Kura Reo.
THE COMMITTTEE:
President – Joe (Hohepa) Ratana
Secretary – Ma (Makarita) Enoka
Ko Putauaki te Maunga
Ko Rangitaiki te Awa
Ko Maatatua te Waka
Ko Ngati Awa te Iwi
Ko Te Aumihi raua ko Tahere Enoka oku Matua
Ko Makarita taku ingoa
I have been involved with other committees in the past and I've worked in Administration for a number of years. To be learning our reo in a different country is huge. Over the last year, I've learned so much whilst being in the Kura, nga kaupapa, nga tikanga, nga ture me nga whakawhanaungatanga. I'm grateful for the opportunity of doing this role and would like to acknowledge the previous Committee for their contribution to the Kura and their continuous commitment and support.
Treasurer – Konrad (Kiharoa) Dear
Assistant Treasurer – Waahi Tapara
Ko Taupiri te maunga
Ko Waikato te awa
Ko Te Wherowhero te tangata
He piko he taniwha he piko he taniwharau
Ko te mea tuatahi he mihi nui ki te atua nana nei nga mea katoa
Ko te mea tuarua mihi atu ki te Kahui Ariki te Kiingi Tuheitia me tona hoa rangatira me a raua tamariki hoki
Te mea tuatoru nga mate I tini aitua haere haere atu ra. E rau rangatira ma me nga hoa ma Tena koutou tena koutou katoa.
Ko Waahi Tapara toku ingoa. Ki te taha o toku matua No Ngati Maniapoto. Ki te taha o toku whaea No Ngati Mahuta engari I tipu ake au ki Waiuku.
Thank you to the association members of Te Kura Akoranga Maori o New South Wales for my appointment as Assistant Treasurer. With 15 years banking and financial experience, I look forward to supporting the Treasurer to meet the financial goals of the Kura. As a current Tauira with Te Reo Maioha ki Poihakena and a performer with Te Huinga Waka Kapa Haka since 1995, my voyage to strengthen and enrich my Taha Maori continues. Weaving these attributes with integrity and an honest, transparent and correct approach to work can only result in successes for the kura.
E ki aii te whakataukii “Ehara taku toa I te toa takitahi engari taku toa he toa takitini”. Mine is not for myself but for many.
Tuturu whiti whakamaua kia tina
Tina! Hui e! Taiiki e
Ordinary member – Delme (Komene) Tangitutu
Who are our connections?
Te Reo Maioha Charitable Trust
Te Reo Maioha has been teaching Te Reo to adults using the Te Atārangi method since 1996. Our Reo Kura – Te Reo Maioha ki Poihakena takes it’s name and kaupapa from this kura in Otaki New Zealand. The trust provides us with invaluable guidance and support in the running of this kura.
Te Ataarangi
Our Reo kura teaches using the Te Ataarangi method. We are affiliated to the Upoko o te Ika rohe of Te Ataarangi through our affiliation with Te Reo Maioha in Otaki.
Thank you
Ma Te Reo
We would like to thank Ma Te Reo for their support in funding our Māori language program Te Reo Maioha ki Poihākena for our 2006 year. Ma Te Reo is a New Zealand Government funded program set up by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission) to support projects, programmes and activities that contribute to local level Māori language regeneration.
Kiri and Mārie would like to thank their whānau and friends who helped them build this website:
- Tamar and Mayumi - a big thank you to Tamar for his generous sharing of his web design and development know-how and his patience in training Mārie, and to Mayumi for lending us her husband for a little while,
- a special thank you to Mārie's cuz Kiri for her tino atāhua artwork which she generously allowed us to use as our logo while we were waiting for our own tohu; also thanks to afterglow for use of their free 'greenstone icon' (www.afterglow.ie)
- thanks to the beta-testing team from Te Rawhiti (Mārie's mum Peti, koro Te Karaka and whanaunga Mingo)who were amongst the first to put our site thru its paces,
- our pākeha (non-māori) friends who provided critical feedback from the other perspective,
- our style team led by Te Aute, who helped us thru 3 hours choosing the exact shade of green :O
- and lastly, the open source community, especially the drupal community, whose content management system we used to build this site. A big mihi to this global movement which recognises the power of knowledge, and the importance of freely sharing it.
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