Who has changed your life?

Ānaru | Pōneke

Last week, we shared Sharyn’s story about her sons who changed the path of their whānau through the exploration of their whakapapa. She sent her son Ānaru (Te Hika o Pāpāuma, Ngāti Kahungunu) to find our team and share his kōrero on how Tā Tīmoti Kāretu changed his life by helping him access his Māoritanga. 

Nā, he tokomaha anō ngā tāngata nāna taku ao i huri. Ko tētahi pea, te tuahangata nei nāna taku reo i whakamāori, nāna au i ārahi i tēnei ao Māori nei, otirā ko Tā Tīmoti Kāretu tērā, kāore pea ia e mōhio. Ka pēnei taku whakautu ki te pātai, nā, heoi, āe, he tuahangata ia. Ko āna mahi whakaoranga i te reo Māori, kāore i tua atu i a ia kāore i tua atu i a ia ki tāku titiro, ā, ki tāku titiro anō, ko ia te tino kaikōrero i te reo Māori huri noa.kāore i tua atu i a ia ki tāku titiro, ā, ki tāku titiro anō, ko ia te tino kaikōrero i te reo Māori huri noa.

Ko tētahi o āna kōrero, ehara i te mea i mea mai ki a au, engari ko tētahi o āna kōrero i rongo ai au. Ehara i te mea kia kākahuria au ki te pounamu, ehara i te mea kia tāngia taku kiri ki te moko, e mōhio ai au he Māori ahau. He mīharo tonu tērā kōrero, i te mea he tokomaha mātou ka kore e whakapono ki a mātou anō, ā, he Māori ahau. Ko au hoki tērā.

I tipu Pākehā mai ahau. Ahakoa te toto Māori e rere ana i roto i a au, he Pākehā taku whakatipuranga mai, engari he Māori tonu ahau. He Māori ōku tīpuna, ā, i tēnei wā he Māori te reo e rere ana i taku arero. Ehara i te mea, kia whakaaturia tērā āhuatanga e mōhio ai koe he Māori, kāo. Nō roto tonu koe tērā āhuatanga.

There are several people who have changed my life. One perhaps is the superhero who taught me the Māori language, who guided me in this Māori world, Tīmoti Kāretu. He probably wouldn’t know that that’s how I’d answer the question. Yes, indeed, he is a superhero. His work on Māori language revitalisation is exemplary. In my opinion he is the best speaker of the Māori language throughout the country.

One thing he says, he didn’t say this to me, but something I’ve heard – You don’t have to be adorned with pounamu, or your skin adorned with moko for you to know that you are Māori. That comment is amazing, as there are many of us who don’t believe in ourselves, that we are Māori. I was one of those.

I grew up in a European way. Although I have Māori blood flowing within me, I was raised in a European way, but I’m still Māori. My ancestors are Māori, and now I speak te reo Māori. It’s not as if you must show that in order to know that you are Māori. No. That’s within you.