July 02, 2018
Wisdom of past generation shared
One of the key forces behind the revival of te reo Māori believes the language is in heart.
Professor Sir Timoti Kāretu and his long time teaching partner Professor Wharehuia Milroy have just produced a new book discussing key cultural concepts mana, tapu, wairua, whakapapa, ritual, farewell speeches and Māori humour.
He Kupu Tuku Iho grew out of questions posed to them by students at AUT University, and drew on what they learned at a similar age from wānanga within Tūhoe where the old people were worried about language loss.
"They’d already looked ahead, tried to do something about it, and they weren’t very happy about the way the younger generation were sort of ignoring custom and wanting convenience rather than custom. So they started back in the 60s and we were all part of that move with the old people saying ‘you should do this, you should do that.’ We were lucky to be exposed to all that generation and that is the knowledge we are trying to pass on to a newer generation," Sir Timoti says.
He Kupu Tuku Iho is the first book to be published by Auckland University Press entirely in te reo Māori, and there is no translation planned.
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