Latest news with #MarutawhaorereDelamere
RNZ News
19-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Celebration on court, censure in the House: Te Pāti Māori MPs' suspension sparks kōrero
Marutawhaorere Delamere (Whānau Apanui, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Maniapoto) says the growth of the tournament was proof that te reo Māori and te ao Māori continue to flourish. Photo: RNZ / Layla Bailey-McDowell While tikanga Māori is being sanctioned in Te Whare Pāremata, te reo Māori is alive and thriving on the netball courts of Tāmaki Makaurau. Only two days before Puni Reo Poitarawhiti, the country's largest te reo Māori only netball event , three Te Pāti Māori MPs were temporarily suspended from Parliament for "acting in a manner that could have the effect of intimidating a member of the House" after they performed a haka during the first reading of the Treaty Principles Bill. Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke will be suspended for seven days, while co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi will be "severely censured" and suspended for 21 days. Suspension also meant those members would not receive a salary for that time. The suspensions were recommendations from the Privileges Committee, and will come into force after a vote in Parliament on Tuesday, where all government MPs are expected to vote in favour. Puni Reo Poitarawhiti organiser Marutawhaorere Delamere (Whānau Apanui, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Maniapoto) said while it dampened his spirits to see Māori MPs suspended for embracing their tikanga, kaupapa like Puni Reo Poitarawhiti showed just how much te ao Māori continued to be celebrated. "Kei te tino kai tērā i te ngākau i te kite atu i te ahurea Māori e whakaatu ana ki te ao, haunga anō a Aotearoa - me te kaha tāmi pea o tērā. "No reira koira pea te tino kaupapa mō Puni Reo - kia kite atu i te ahurea Māori te whātoro atu ki ngā tamariki kāre pea e tino mau ana ki tērā ahurea, me te kite atu i te ātaahuatanga o te reo e taea ai te puāwai i te ao o te tamaiti, i te ao o te whānau. "Koira pea te kaupapa nui me te whakaaro me pēhea te uru atu i te reo ki ngā kāinga, i te mea kei te mōhio tātou koira pea te hua e kite ai i te kotahi miriona tāngata e kōrero Māori ana. "He tino kāre i pai ki taku ngākau i tērā mahi. Engari he tino waimarie kua whai wāhi tonu te kaupapa nei - haunga te kāwanatanga o ia rā, o ia rā, kei te aruaru tonu ngā mahi." "It really dampens my spirit to see that happen. Meanwhile at kaupapa like this you can clearly see the beauty of our culture celebrated - it's not just celebrated here; our culture is revered around the world. Globally people are fascinated, and then things like that happen. "The good thing though is we are resilient people, and we have a generation of young people being placed into environments like this, being raised to understand the mana and beauty of their culture. Kaupapa like this will continue regardless. Out here on the ground we are actively finding ways to revitalise and maintain our language, and I'm confident we will get to the goal of 1 million people speaking our language soon. "You've got generations coming through who are unapologetically Māori and who are smarter and more intelligent as a result. "It's so disappointing to see people punished for their culture, but governments come and go - this isn't the first time to try and stamp out our culture, and it won't be the last." Professor Jenny Lee-Morgan (Waikato Ngāti Mahuta, Te Ahiwaru) who helped champion Puni Reo Poitarawhiti at the 2025 event. Photo: RNZ / Layla Bailey-McDowell Professor Jenny Lee-Morgan (Waikato Ngāti Mahuta, Te Ahiwaru), who championed the kaupapa alongside her husband Eruera (Eru) Lee-Morgan in 2018, shared the same whakaaro as Delamere and said she was "disgusted" by the Privileges Committee's decision. "Pukuriri katoa ahau, mātou ko tōku whānau i tērā āhuatanga, kei reira te tūmanako te hiahia ki te whakaora i te reo kia whakaora i ngā tikanga me kite tatou i tērā āhuatanga i ngā wāhi katoa i roto i te Pāremata hoki kua tae te wā kia uru atu o tātou tikanga, i tō tātou nei whenua i ngā tikanga, i te reo katoa." "My whānau and I were disgusted to see that happen. You see what's happening here and all around us - our people are doing everything they can to keep their language and culture alive. When you see something like that happen it makes you more determined. Who are they to tell us we cannot be who we are on our very own whenua? I say we as Māori need to start making it happen everywhere, and I encourage everyone to do so." Rihi Te Nana at Puni Reo Poitarawhiti 2025. Photo: RNZ / Layla Bailey-McDowell Rihi Te Nana, who has been working in the kaupapa Māori research space for over two decades, attended this year's Puni Reo Poitarawhiti to watch her mokopuna play. She said she was "sick" of the government's "constant racist attacks" on Māori, and that rangatahi were aware of what was happening and would respond at the ballot box. "Kei te tino hōhā mātou ki te kāwanatanga o mātou kaikiritanga kia mātou ao noa po wāhi haumaru ma mātou. "Kia mātou nei taiohi me ngā whānau katoa kia kaha. He wa poto noaiho kei reira tērā pāti a te wa, ka haere tātou ki te pōti ae panaia atu pana atu i a ratou katoa." "We're sick of this government and its constant racist attacks on us night and day, it's relentless... Māori youth understand what's happening and they will vote, and I encourage them to vote. These parties have a finite amount of time in Parliament, and I firmly believe we will vote them out in the next election." Taiwhanga Wichman-Kelly (left) alongside his mum and sister at Puni Reo Poitarawhiti 2025. Photo: RNZ / Layla Bailey-McDowell Among the many supporters on the day was Taiwhanga Wichman-Kelly, a raukura of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Kotuku. He was at this year's Puni Reo alongside his whānau to tautoko the kaupapa, his teina and fellow tauira. Reflecting on the suspensions, he said it was both disheartening and infuriating to see Māori MPs be punished for who they were. "Kei te pōuri me te pukuriri ano hoki. Nā runga i ngā āhuatanga o te whakahē i te tangata Māori i runga i tō tātou ake whenua - i konā i pouri ai te manawa, te ngākau." "I'm feeling sad and angry because of the way our people are condemned on our own land - that's why my heart and soul are heavy." Te Pāti Māori's Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke interrupted the vote on the Treaty Principles Bill's first reading with a haka taken up by members of the opposition and people in the public gallery. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The Privileges Committee said the issue was not the haka itself, but the way and timing it was performed - during a vote in the House. "It is highly disorderly for members to interrupt a vote while it is being conducted," the committee said. They also found the MPs knew they needed permission and did not have it. "The threshold at which an interjection during a vote may be considered a contempt is where the interruption could be considered intimidatory." Parliament will debate on Tuesday whether these suspensions handed down to Te Pāti Māori MPs should be adopted. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
19-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
New Zealand's largest te reo Māori only netball event thriving on the court
Puni Reo Poitarawhiti is Aotearoa's first te reo Māori only netball tournament, bringing together students from kura kaupapa Māori and kura auraki (mainstream schools). Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ A kaupapa Māori netball tournament is committed to creating a space where te reo Māori is the norm - on and off the court - and where tamariki can compete, connect and kōrero in an environment that uplifts the language. Hundreds of players and supporters gathered at Netball Waitākare last Friday for Puni Reo Poitarawhiti - the country's biggest netball tournament conducted entirely in te reo Māori. Underpinned by whanaungatanga, the event is continuing to grow - with over 76 teams from kura kaupapa Māori and kura auraki competing and celebrating the Māori language at the 2025 whakataetae. The theme for the kaupapa is 'Ko te Reo te Take!' meaning 'The language is the reason!' Organisers say Puni Reo Poitarawhiti was built for all ākonga Māori - including those in mainstream schools - to help them grow their confidence in te ao Māori. Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ The annual tournament began in 2018 with just 60 teams. It's now grown into a significant kaupapa in the wider language revitalisation movement, drawing in kura from across Tāmaki Makaurau and Te Tai Tokerau. Marutawhaorere Delamere (Whānau Apanui, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Maniapoto) has helped lead the kaupapa from the very beginning. He said the growth of the tournament was proof that te reo Māori and te ao Māori continue to flourish - regardless of politics. Marutawhaorere Delamere (Whānau Apanui, Whakatōhea, Ngāti Pikiao, Ngāti Maniapoto) says the growth of the tournament was proof that te reo Māori and te ao Māori continue to flourish. Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ "He tino harikoa, mai i te orokotimatanga o te kaupapa, ka kite mātou i ngā tau kua āta puāwai te nuinga o ngā kura, ngā tīma e tino hiakai ana ki tēnei o ngā kaupapa." It's fantastic to see the turnout. Since its inception, this competition has continued to attract more and more schools wanting to participate. It's really uplifting to see so many different schools show such an eagerness and dedication to celebrate te reo. "Wā tātou tamariki Māori e noho ana i ngā wāhi tauiwi, tā rātou tino hiakai. Nō reira he tino pai, ka koa te ngākau. He nui te aroha atu ki ngā tāngata kua whai wā ki te kaupapa." It's really heartening to see the growth of Pākehā supporting this kaupapa and helping expand the environments outside of school where our tamariki Māori can use their reo in practical everyday situations like this. We are very thankful to all the schools that take part. Signage with popular netball-related kupu can be seen hanging around the centre - encouraging ākonga to feel confident to use te reo on the day. Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ One of the most important aspects of the kaupapa was that players were penalised for speaking English during gameplay - a rule that helps normalise te reo Māori in competitive, high-energy spaces. Delamere said this was something embedded in the competition from the very beginning. "Nō reira koina pea te aaki o te kaupapa - ki ngā kaitākaro kia mau ki te reo me te arero Māori i a rātou e tākaro ana. Ka kite pea i roto anō i te āhuatanga harikoa o te tangata, i te āhua wairua toa o te tangata, i tā rātou e hiakai ana i te reo." This is much more than a netball competition - this is a challenge for everyone involved. Whether they're playing or on the sidelines, the aim is to stick to te reo Māori and encourage players to keep te reo Māori in their minds. "Nō reira koira tētahi o ngā tino ture e āta tiro ana e te komiti whakahaere - me pēhea pea te whakawhānui, kia mau tonu ki te reo Māori i te papa tākaro katoa - haunga anō ngā kaitākaro, ngā kairīwhi, ngā kaiako anō hoki." Often in environments like this, it's easy to slip back into English because there's a lot of energy - so it's a great mental challenge to stay focused on your language. This is something the organisers, referees, and everyone monitors . We encourage everyone to speak Māori no matter what level they're at. It's a fantastic way to expand and embed Māori as a normal, everyday language. The kaupapa Māori event is now in its fifth year and continues to grow with over 76 teams from kura kaupapa Māori and kura auraki competing and celebrating the Māori language. Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ Delamere said while kura kaupapa Māori continued to champion te reo, Puni Reo Poitarawhiti was built for all ākonga Māori - including those in mainstream schools - to help them grow their confidence in te ao Māori. "E ngana ana ki te kōrero. Ko ētahi o ngā kura he kura auraki, engari e mau ana i ētahi kaupapa Māori i roto anō i tā rātou kura. Engari e ngana ana. Engari koira te tino kaupapa o te Puni Reo - ehara i te mea kāore e hiahia kia hoatu i tētahi wā mō ngā kura kaupapa, engari e hiahia ana ki te toro atu ki ā tātou tamariki Māori." "Kei te mōhio mātou kāore e whai wāhi ana ki te kura kaupapa Māori, te wharekura anō hoki, e whakaatuhia rātou te ātaahua o tō tātou reo. Koira pea te tino aronga mō tēnei kaupapa." A lot of mainstream schools are participating now. While they're mainstream, many of them have classes or units for te reo Māori. The main thing isn't fluency for our participants - it's more about using the language outside of school. The goal was never to create this kaupapa as a space for kura kaupapa alone. We wanted to extend the invitation to as many kura as possible so their students - not just the Māori students - had the opportunity to be a part of something that celebrates their language and culture in such an exciting and unifying way. Professor Jenny Lee-Morgan (Waikato Ngāti Mahuta, Te Ahiwaru) championed the kaupapa alongside her husband Eruera Lee-Morgan in 2018, after realising that despite the large Māori presence in community netball, te reo Māori was still missing from the court. "I takaro netipōro ahau i te wā e tamariki ana, whā tekau ngā tau inaianei, kāre au i rongo i taku reo e puta mai. Ahakoa te nuinga he Māori, nō reira, kua tae te wa kia whakaamāori te katoa o ngā wāhi mā tatou mo te iwi nei. I used to play netball, some 40 years ago now, and despite the majority of the players, coaches etc being Māori, I never heard our language. So, when my kids started playing our whānau decided it was time to change that. She said this kind of environment is a fun and less formal place for tamariki to speak te reo openly and be surrounded by others who will support them. "Tuatahi ko te reo i tino whai wāhi mātou ko tōku whānau e ngā wāhi kōrero Māori ana mo aku tamariki." First and foremost, we are here for the language, our whānau are constantly searching for places and events that allow us and our children especially to celebrate our language. Professor Jenny Lee-Morgan (Waikato Ngāti Mahuta, Te Ahiwaru) championed Puni Reo Poitarawhiti alongside her husband Eruera Lee-Morgan in 2018, after realising that despite the large Māori presence in community netball, te reo Māori was still missing from the court. Photo: Layla Bailey-McDowell / RNZ "Tokotoru aku tamariki ki konei i tēnei ra e rua ngā kura. Kia whai wāhi kia kōrero Māori kia whakanui i te reo kia tāku i te reo, kia harikoa ngā tamariki i te wā e takaro ana, tērā te take e hara mai ana ki tēnei kaupapa." I have three of my children participating today. We want our children in environments that normalise our language in an exciting, fun and exhilarating way, that's why we are a part of this. Looking forward, Delamere said they want to see this kaupapa expand and go further beyond netball. "Nō reira he koa ngā ngākau i tērā, me te kite atu he aha pea te pitomata o tēnei momo kaupapa i ngā hākinakina rerekē - haunga ko te pōitarawhiti, pēnei i te poitūkohu - haunga anō ngā kēmu Māori pēnei i te waka ama, te kī-o-rahi, ko ngā kēmu e tino kite ana i te nui o ngā tāngata Pākehā." We really want to see this expand and go further beyond netball - we want it on the basketball courts too. We've managed this in sports like waka ama and kī-o-rahi, and we want it to grow. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
