I was learning te reo in the decades past but have had less opportunity to korero since retiring. But I do know a fair bit, just lack practice forming sentences. I often listen to Te Karere and Maori TV channel too. Years ago when I was a student nurse, my Ngapuhi flatmate would not teach me, but told me to keep listening to Te Karere. I trained as a nurse in Rotorua where I had many Maori friends and used to go up to Motatau with my friend, whose father used to tell us the old stories (history) in the evenings by the fire. No TV back then.
I also had a lot to do with the family of Hone Te Kauru Taiapa and his wife Mereira at Koutu. They are like family to me but the parents are long passsed. I am in touch with some of their descendants who are very inclusive. I studied nursing papers and psychology at Massey in Palmerston North and in 1990 was unemployed and went again to Massey, but fulltime and did Treaty of Waitangi in NZ Society with Mason DURIE. He also invited me to do his Maori Health paper, for which he handpicked 10 students only. He took me to Ratana to a great health hui, where I met many fine people there including a young Lance O'Sullivan about to embark on a medical degree. He was in our group and a speaker too. I had been to Ratana years before in childhood with my parents too. In 1992 I was doing the paper Te Kakano o Te Reo. But now I am very rusty and need to get busy on it again. The Whakapara people are also very inclusive, that is the marae of Titewhai Harawira and I know quite a few of her family as her next oldest sister is married to my cousin.
I see our PM Jacinda is becoming very accomplished at te reo and watched her spek at Ngaruawahia today for the big celebrqaations there. aShe is so clever qqnd a great example to many to have a go and keep at it as we all must learn to preserve this beutiful laanguage.
Aileen McKay
I also had a lot to do with the family of Hone Te Kauru Taiapa and his wife Mereira at Koutu. They are like family to me but the parents are long passsed. I am in touch with some of their descendants who are very inclusive. I studied nursing papers and psychology at Massey in Palmerston North and in 1990 was unemployed and went again to Massey, but fulltime and did Treaty of Waitangi in NZ Society with Mason DURIE. He also invited me to do his Maori Health paper, for which he handpicked 10 students only. He took me to Ratana to a great health hui, where I met many fine people there including a young Lance O'Sullivan about to embark on a medical degree. He was in our group and a speaker too. I had been to Ratana years before in childhood with my parents too. In 1992 I was doing the paper Te Kakano o Te Reo. But now I am very rusty and need to get busy on it again. The Whakapara people are also very inclusive, that is the marae of Titewhai Harawira and I know quite a few of her family as her next oldest sister is married to my cousin.
I see our PM Jacinda is becoming very accomplished at te reo and watched her spek at Ngaruawahia today for the big celebrqaations there. aShe is so clever qqnd a great example to many to have a go and keep at it as we all must learn to preserve this beutiful laanguage.
Aileen McKay
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