August 02, 2021
A kupu a day starts reo journey
Broadcaster Stacey Morrison says her tohu from this year’s Matariki Awards are for all those learning to speak Māori, especially when they are doing it as adults.
Ms Morrison won the Waipunarangi – Te Reo and Tikanga section of the Māori Television-backed awards.
When she was nominated she felt imposter syndrome before realising the importance of people seeing how someone can grow up without te reo Māori and then pick it up later.
She thanks husband Scottie Morrison and their children for helping her with the journey and says it’s something that starts with a few words a day.
“As long as we use what we know and then learn a little bit every day if we possibly can, and it will be about the reo, not even necessarily kupu reo Māori, but if we learn something about how we can retain information, what appeals to us, if it’s waiata if it’s speaking Māori to our mokopuna – finding someone you can feel a bit more comfortable with and quite often it is mokopuna, it’s little kids, and that’s an important thing because if the reo thrives in our homes then the reo truly will be revitalised,” she says.
Other winners this year included the band Six60, Buy Māori Made founder Michelle Baker, Ngā Puna o Waiorea tumuaki Chris Selwyn, Mahurehure Marae, basketballer Charlisse Leger-Walker, Witi Ihimaera, Ihikara Puketapu and Kataraina & Tāwhirimātea Williams, with the supreme award going to Māori pandemic response group Te Roopū Whakakaupapa Urutā.
Copyright © 2021, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com