Kiwa Hammond, the spokesperson for Mōriori on Te Pae Motuhake o Te Tai Tonga, the regional advisory board, which covers Te Waipounamu and Rēkohu Wharekauri, says the symposium had a big emphasis on rangatahi and a variety of reo champions, not just language exponents but those who have been “championing the cause of language revitalisation and regeneration” were there.
“It's not that everyone should be expected to be a mātanga reo (language exponent). I think that was quite reassuring to people to know that you don't have to be a certain type of person to be a champion of te reo.”
When it comes to starting and carrying out "kaupapa reo," Hammond believes that Rēkohu Wharekauri confront 10 times the problems of those in the North Island experience.
“You have a very small group of people who are trying to do amazing things at a distance.”
Rēkohu/Wharekauri | Chatham Islands | Rēkohu/Wharekauri | Chatham Islands | 2020-29 | Story is by tangata whenua
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