Going back, coming home
“One of my goals is to get into a position where I can work for Ngāti Pikiao, as someone who helps our people to come home . . . to help them discover this whole other way of life.” — Te Atamairangi Emery-Hughes.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Nov 19, 2023 | Identity, PIJF
“One of my goals is to get into a position where I can work for Ngāti Pikiao, as someone who helps our people to come home . . . to help them discover this whole other way of life.” — Te Atamairangi Emery-Hughes.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Oct 22, 2023 | PIJF, Reflections
“I think about how I grew up with my grandparents, and I’m hoping we can get back to that idea of “a village raises a family”, and not just for the kids but for our kaumātua and others who might be struggling with loneliness and anxiety.” — Miriana Stephens.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Aug 6, 2023 | PIJF, Reflections
“For me, the K-wave has been this beautiful, shining example of how our reo and traditions could be one day, in a very real and attainable sense.” — Siena Yates.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | May 7, 2023 | Comment & Analysis, PIJF
“All we’re asking for is a world in which Māori make our own decisions about our own lives, the government makes its own decisions about its people’s lives, and we sit together and make decisions on matters that relate to us both.” — Professor Margaret Mutu.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Mar 17, 2023 | PIJF, Reflections
“None of the people of our marae wait to find out if there’ll be money coming down the track. When you ask them why they do what they do, they say: ‘That’s what we do as Māori. That’s manaakitanga.’” — Siena Yates.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Dec 11, 2022 | Reo
“The reo journey is hard and confronting, and a lot of the time you just have to push through. There’s no skirting around it, especially if you’re Māori and carrying the language trauma that many of us do.” — Siena Yates.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Nov 13, 2022 | Reo
“For the first time in my life, I feel whole. I feel spiritually well. I feel Māori. And not because I can have a short conversation in the reo, but because I finally feel the connection.” — Siena Yates.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Oct 23, 2022 | Reo
“The kura reo is specifically designed to challenge you, to push your limits and demolish any concept of a comfort zone. But it’s done in a way that is manageable for you, and with aroha.” — Siena Yates.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Oct 2, 2022 | Reo
“Every time I went to any Pākehā space, my reo disappeared.” — Siena Yates, on challenging herself to speak only Māori during Māori Language Week.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Sep 18, 2022 | Reo
“Sometimes, it doesn’t seem to make sense. Sometimes, it’s unbearably hard and you want to quit.” — Siena Yates.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Jun 12, 2022 | Reo
“Once you’ve started to kōrero Māori with your kurī, there’s no going back.” — Siena Yates.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | May 8, 2022 | Reo
“The full-time, full-immersion learning environment gives us a space where we don’t have to try so hard to be in te ao Māori.” — Siena Yates.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Apr 10, 2022 | Reflections, Reo
“I’d finally joined an environment where I didn’t have to use my Pākehā voice for the first time in my life.” — Siena Yates.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Dec 6, 2020 | Identity, Reo
“It’s only in recent years that I’ve even plucked up the courage to claim my identity, to proudly say: Yes, I am Māori.” — Siena Yates.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Nov 29, 2020 | Uncategorised
E kōrero atu nei ia ki a Kristin Ross o Punarau Media, e pā ana ki ngā mahi pakeke ki te whakatupu tamariki i roto i tētahi kāinga reo Māori, koia i whakaihu waka ai tōna pakihi.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Nov 29, 2020 | Uncategorised
Anton Matthews e pā ana ki te mahi whakatupu tamariki kōrero Māori me te whakahaere pakihi reorua — me te wawata kotahi kei roto.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Nov 29, 2020 | Reo
“Ours is an oral tradition and that’s important because it’s not only how we share stories but how we transfer and transmit knowledge.” — Lee Timutimu.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Nov 21, 2020 | Reo
“We have almost four generations of te reo Māori speakers in our family. My goal in life before I leave this earth is that those teachings will funnel down to the next three generations after my children.” — Eli Smith.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Nov 15, 2020 | Reo
“Their decision to be a reo Māori-speaking household instantly cut off friends and whānau who either didn’t agree with their decision or found it too challenging to communicate solely in te reo.”
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Nov 15, 2020 | Reo
“It really didn’t sit well with me that, outside our home, my kids would feel like they’d have to leave that part of themselves at the door and be somebody else. To put on a mask.” — Anton Matthews.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Sep 20, 2020 | Reo
“I think had I stayed in Australia, I wouldn’t have been happy and my heart would’ve yearned to be here.” — Jeremy MacLeod.
Read MorePosted by Siena Yates | Sep 13, 2020 | Reo
“I was often defined by that moment which was probably, what, a minute? I get it. I understand the importance of it, but it’s nice to be able to focus on new and important developments.” — Hinewehi Mohi.
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