I am so passionate about Te Reo and Tikanga Maori. I am Pakeha with rich ancestory that has made deep connections with Maori people. My Ancestor Salvatore Cimeno was one of the first Italian immigrants to NZ and he was made an honorary member of the Ngati Raukawa tribe due to his friendship with the nororious Cheif Te Rauparaha. Te Rauparaha wrote the haka Kamate Kamate! and he helped build a mean as church in Otaki. I am proud of this connection. As a young girl in the 80s I was privileged to attended Kohanga reo with delightful Maori ladies who spent their precious time teaching me pronunciation and basic words before going to a predominantly Maori Kura in remote Tairawhiti along with the Rongowhakata & Nga Taimanuhiri peeps. I felt the aroha and the manaakitanga & the pono of many things Tikanga Maori. During Cyclone Bola I have wonderful memories of being evacuated on to Manutuke Marae with my neighbours and feeling safe and excited to be under one roof in the whare nui. After many years spent in the "Western World" my heart knows how wonderful Tikanga Maori and Te reo is and how important it is to be kaitianga of taonga like this language. Big mihi to all that have kept the language alive. It is good for all of us.
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