We learn about traditional kai harvest practices as Mere Skerrett prepares for the imminent tītī harvest season in in Murihiku Southland. This episode is in Te Reo Māori.

This episode in Te Reo Māori asks how we might uphold Māori traditions for the wellbeing of the people and the environment. We learn about traditional kai harvest practices as Mere Skerrett prepares for the imminent tītī harvest season in Murihiku Southland.

Te Reo Māori

by Kahu Kutia

Kia wawatatia e tātou te pae tawhiti. Kia tuituia e tātou he ao e ū ana ki te manaakitanga, ki te aroha, ki te kotahitanga. Ka mua, ka muri, ki te ao whai oranga. Ko He Kākano Ahau: Wawatatia te kaupapa e whai ake nei.

Kia hoki tātou ki ngā tikanga ā ngā tīpuna; kia whakatipungia e tātou he kai nā te māra, kia whaia e tātou te maramataka. Kia tika ngā mahi i te wao. Kia hono atu ki te whenua, ki te wai hei oranga mā tātou katoa. Ko te motuhaketanga o te kai tētahi kaupapa ka kaha rangona i ngā hapū me ngā iwi puta noa i te motu.

E whai ana tēnei wāhanga o He Kākano Ahau i te pātai, ka pēhea te mahinga kai e poipoi i te ahurea Māori? Ka tae atu a Kahu Kutia ki Waihōpai te kōrero atu ki a Mere Skerrett, tōna kaiako i a ia i te kōhanga reo. Kei te whakarite a Mere ki te rapu tītī. Kua ngahuru te whenua i te tonga o Te Waipounamu, ā, ka kōrerohia e Kahu rāua ko Mere ngā kōrero tuku iho e pā ana ki te mahinga kai.

Ko tā Mere, ehara ēnei mahi i te mea rapu kai noa iho. E manawa nui ana ia ki ngā āhuatanga o te tītī.

"He mīharo ngā manu tītī. Ka taea te ruku kaimoana kia rapu kai. Nō reira ko ngā tītī, koira te take o te whakataukī "Kia manawa tītī". Kia pērā i te tītī, kia tino kaha ki te whai atu i tōu e hiahia ana."

Ka tū te wāhanga rapu tītī mai i te 1 o Paengawhāwhā, tae atu ki te 31 o Haratua. Ko tēnei te wā e taea ana e ngā whānau o tēnei rohe te haere atu ki ngā moutere ki te rapu, ki te nanao i ēnei manu. I ngā wā o mua, ka tukuna ngā manu ki te pōhā, he pēke ka hangaia ki te rimurapa, ki te harakeke, ki te tōtara anō hoki. Inaianei, ka tukuna ki te pākete kē. Mai i ngā pākete ka tukuna ki ngā whānau puta noa i te motu e hiakai ana ki tēnei kai rangatira.

Ko tā Mere, e hāngai ana te reo rapu tītī ki te tirohanga taketaketake o tōna iwi. Ko Mere tētahi e whakapau kaha ana ki ngā mahi whakarauora reo, ā, ka tino ū ōna whakaaro ki te whakarauora reo i roto i ngā mahinga kai…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details