Tēnā koutou e te whānau whānaui
Ki te taha ō tōku māmā, he uri tēnei nō Te Aūpouri, Ngāti Kahu, Hokianga me Ngapuhi hoki.
Ki te taha ō tōku pāpā, he tēnei nō Ngāti Pūkeko, nō Te Whakatohea anō hoki.
Nei ra te mokopuna ō ōku tīpuna e mihi atu nei.
Ko Lachan Watarawi-Winiata tōku ingoa.
• What are my hopes for Te Reo Māori in 50 years time, 2075?
Āku wawata mō Te Reo Māori mō mātou te iwi Māori, that tangata Māori will not be ashamed to kōrero in public in front of others, that our reo will 100% be revived, and that tangata tauiwi are inviting to those who kōrero Māori when in public.
• What does Te Ao Māori mean to me?
It is my everything. Ko te reo Māori tāku reo tuatahi. Ko te Ao Māori tāku whakaaro tuatahi. Ko te Ao Māori te tūāpapa ō tōku oranga.
Ao te pō, pō te ao.
Without te Ao Māori i dont know where i’d be.
He raukura au nō te Kōhanga Reo, nō te kura kaupapa Māori, nō te kura ā-iwi, nō te whare wānanga o Aotearoa hoki.
From the time I was born, te Ao Māori has been installed in me and 28years later, it still is. This is will be my forever.
I hope in the future, that my tamariki, my mokopuna will never have to fight to be seen as TANGATA MĀORI.
I hope that they will never have to fight our battle we are fighting now.
I hope rangatahi will navigate the way for our people to be heard.
E kore te aroha e mititi noa.
Toitū te reo Māori 🫡
