"Learning these tiny bits of information took te reo out of the realms of the mysterious and eye-wateringly scary, and into the tantalising tingles of being understandable and learnable.
After just those eight weeks, my perception of te reo Māori changed. In the recent past, it had become terrifying, something by which I judged my lack of Māoriness. Something I viewed through a white, western lens.
Yet, with the help of caring people, through a lens now tinted with aroha, I could embrace the experience of speaking re reo Māori and let it melt my heart.
It’s like watching a wondrous putiputi blooming right in front of my eyes. Like listening to the most beautiful sounds in the universe or tasting twinkling stardust on my tongue. Ka rawe!
I’ll try to explain something else that happened. My tongue seems to have freed up. The sound flows more. The inside of my cheeks seems to cushion my pronunciation. Listening to a friend doggedly try, try, and try again left me humbled and inspired.
Watching another student’s mouth try to form the vowel sounds has imprinted the action into the shape of my mouth, too. I felt like a pēpi watching their māmā teaching them to chew slower and savour the flavour."
- Shelley Burne-Field
Te Matau-a-Māui | Hawke’s Bay | Napier City | 2020-29 | Story is by tangata whenua
Comments