In April 1982, the first Kōhanga Reo was opened in Wainuiomata, heralding a new era of educational institutes that supported Māori self-determination or mana motuhake. In this piece, Te Papa’s Iwi Development Adviser | Kaiwhanake a-Iwi, Ahi Marino Dawson writes about three generations of her whānau in which the speaking of te reo has been both punished and nurtured. As a Kōhanga reo child, she reflects on the some of the changes she’s seen over the past 20 years.
Kōhanga Reo: Māori Resilience
The number of te reo Māori speakers declined significantly since the 1920s during the time when our tūpuna and a lot of our Māori men went to World War 1 and World War 2. Over 20% of Māori moved to the bigger cities in the 1940’s, the urban migration of Māori from their whenua, through a policuy of ‘Pepper Potting’ used to assimilate Māori into Pākehā society in the 1940’s-1960’s. These are a few pivotal events that led to the systematic decline of te reo Māori speakers, something that undermined Māori culture.
Unfortunately, my mother was the last generation to be beaten for even mentioning a word of Māori. Growing up, speaking te reo Māori was not just discouraged, it was met with physical punishment. Her experience, shared by many whānau Māori of her generation, reflects the deep-rooted suppression of our reo, culture, and us as a people. I believe this has hindered my mother’s progress and ability to speak her language. An uncomfortable and confronting harsh reminder of the systematic efforts to suppress Māori in every capacity.
In contrast, my father is Pākeha and he spoke fluently in te reo Māori. He was the one that enrolled us into Kōhanga and Kura Kaupapa Māori, a decision that has carried me into mātauranga Māori and te reo Māori all my life. I was one of seven tamariki, five were whāngai, whom my mother cared for. We grew up in a Māori-only speaking home. Te reo Māori was, and still is, my first language. We attended three Kōhanga Reo in my rohe—two in Ngā Rauru Kiitahi (Te Reo Maimaia Te Kōhanga Reo, Pākaraka Marae, and Ngā Ariki Te Kōhanga Reo, Waipapa Marae) and one in Whanganui (Mangawhero Te Kōhanga Reo).
I remember more of the difficult days than the good, these involving the kokona (naughty corner), the ear pulling and the favouritism. But I also remember the singing, the nature walks, the storytelling of our atua Māori and the messages taught through those stories, the importance of looking after our natural resources and taonga for future generations.
Comparing to my daughter’s experiences at Te Kōhanga Reo o Te Hunga Kāwitiwiti in Whangaui, I am stoked to say she did not experience the kokona or any ear pulling. The same values are still being taught to her, te reo Māori, mātauranga Māori and tikanga Māori. She sang songs that was taught through the generations, the same songs I sang when I was at Kōhanga, the same stories, she also did nature walks, taught to look after the environment etc.
What evidently remains and continue to be practiced are the core values of what kaumātua has instiled in the future generations through the Kōhanga Reo movement. Kōhanga Reo’s journey from its grassroots beginnings to its current position as a respected educational movement reflects the power of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori in shaping Māori identity, Māori pride, and Māori resilience.
Living Success
I am a product of the Kōhanga Reo movement, I am a living success and proof of Māori resilience. I am one of many who are even more so! As Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke declared in an electorate debate on The Hui in 2023, “Don’t be scared, because the kōhanga reo generation are here, and we have a huge movement and a huge wave of us coming through”. The teachings of Kohanga Reo are not new. The role of whānau and extended whānau, learning te reo Māori, tikanga Māori, and Mātauranga Māori through observation and participation, the guidance of kaumātua, and the connection of whakapapa to people, land, and environment, have always been the very foundation of traditional Māori parenting and childcare. Kōhanga Reo is not just a language initiative; it is reclamation. It is Tino Rangatiratanga, and it is Mana Motuhake!"
I speak te reo Māori for my ancestors who did, for my mother who was denied her inherent right to speak her reo, and for my whānau today who are disconnected from it, and for my people and future generations to succeed it.