We had a kōhanga reo at Mahimaru marae, and the kaiako were our kuia. Ma Jones, Nana Hazel, Mother Mere Henare, Nana Taha, Aunty Gugu Pivac, Aunty Myra Berghan, and many others. They were all kaikaranga and kuia. That first day, I thought we were going to eat cream buns at the marae, but it was the beginning of kōhanga reo. Charlie Marino was there too.
Pronunciation and intonation— or what they’d refer to as “te whakahua o te reo” and “te rere o te reo” — was very important when we were tamariki. Even though we didn’t go to kura kaupapa, we still had a lot of karakia in the morning and the evening. The kuia taught us how to read Māori from the Māori prayer book.
I just think it was a marvellous experience being able to have those old people put time and energy into you.
Te Tai Tokerau | Northland | Far North | 1980-89 | Story is by tangata whenua
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