The Māori language festival, Toitū Te Reo will kick off at the end of this week, with thousands expected to participate.
The festival takes its origins from a Welsh language festival celebrated annually and is the successor to the Te Reo ki Tua language symposium held in Ngāti Kahungunu for the past six years.
Facilitated and organised by Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod, the festival aims to attract thousands for one common purpose.
“Ko Toitū Te Reo nei, he hui whakakotahi i a tātau, kaua i a tātau te hunga mōhio ki te kōrero māori, engari i ngā mea e hiahia ana ki te tautoko mai, ō tātau nā hoa pākehā e kīa nei, he tangata tiriti, kia kotahi ai ō tātau whakaaro ki te reo.”
Toitū Te Reo is a gathering to unite us all, not just those who know how to speak Māori, but those who are wanting to support, our Pākehā friends who say they are tangata tiriti, to unite us in thoughts on the language, he says.
Toitū Te Reo is said to be the biggest event in Ngāti Kahungunu this year, following the success of its kura reo, which are commonly sold out within minutes.
Toitū Te Reo will show the country the power of the Māori language and its community, which strongly supports its survival.
“E pakari ai tātau i roto i te āhuatanga e puta mai ana i Pōneke, ngā kōrero kai te puta mai i reira mō tō tātau reo. Nō reira ahakoa iti noa mai te mōhio, autaia te mōhio, matatau rānei, e hiahia ana au kia taki hui katoa mai, nō te mea e ora ai te reo, me whai kaikōrero, me whai kaitautoko. Ko ngā kaitautoko rā, ko ētahi e kore e mōhio ki te kōrero māori engari ka whawhai, ka whawhai, ka whawhai.”
We are being toughened by the things that are coming out of Wellington, the talks coming out of there about our language. So, no matter how small, not bad or even proficient you are, I want us all to gather together because to ensure the language survives we need speakers and supporters. Those supporters, some can’t even speak Māori but they fight and fight and fight.
However, Tātere MacLeod is hopeful that in 10 years’ time, there will be no need for language revitalisation symposiums, and the language will be thriving.
“Ko te tūmanako noa iho, ka noho ko Toitū te reo hai whāngai i ngā mauri o te iwi, hai whakahikohiko i a rātau, whakaaweawe, kia kaha tonu ai tātau, e kaha tonu ai tātau ki te whawhai, kia ora tonu tēnei reo, hai reo mō tēnei whenua.”
The only hope is that Toitū te reo will feed the soul of the people, invigorate them and inspire them to retain that strength to fight for this language, so it is a language for this land.
Festivities for Toitū Te Reo will start on Thursday in Hastings town centre, in Hawke’s Bay.
