Statement from Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori

30 April 2013

He Maimai Aroha

Parekura ē, Parekura ē, kua tāpokopoko tōu marae i te roimata, i te hūpē ka rere mōu. Ka riro nei koe i te waka o tai ata, he apakura, he mōteatea te kai i muri nei.

Haere rā, e hika, haere ki tērā o ngā wharepuni e kore e kī, e kore e kōpā te noho. Hoatu koe ki te poho o Rehua okioki ai, mō tai ahiahi koe whāia atu ai.

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori - Māori Language Commission – joins Māoridom and Aotearoa/New Zealand in mourning the loss of former Minister of Māori Affairs, Parekura Horomia.

During his time as Minister, Mr Horomia was responsible for some of the important works to come out of the Māori Language Commission. He championed the production of He Pātaka Kupu – one of the largest monolingual dictionaries to ever be published in the Pacific - believing in its critical contribution to, and acknowledgement of, Māori language, culture and historical scholarship.

Parekura also staunchly supported the wider socialising of te reo Māori throughout the country, and could be counted on by the Māori Language Commission at Māori Language Week events and Awards both during his tenure as Minister, and as a member of the opposition. He was very proud of Māori language and culture, encouraging national events like Matariki as a means of celebrating New Zealand’s nationhood and identity; and applauding Māori all over the country in the successful revitalisation and showcasing of their cultural heritage, language and knowledge.

Having himself, acquired te reo Māori as a part of his upbringing, Parekura advocated strongly for the crucial role of whānau and community in Māori language revitalisation. During his ministerial term he fought for language support in homes – establishing programmes like He Kāinga Kōrerorero run by Te Ataarangi. Parekura also supported the Māori Language Commission in the successful implementation of the Mā te Reo fund – which has for the last 12 years – provided direct funding for over 1,000 home and community based language revitalisation projects like kura reo, throughout the country.

Parekura, kua pakukore te iwi nui ka riro nei koe. Kāore i hīkaka tōu ihu ki te tangata, ahakoa ko wai, tamariki mai, rawakore mai, aha mai. I oke koe kia ora tonu ai ngā taonga a kui mā, a koro mā, nō ngā tamariki mokopuna te whiwhi, haere ake nei. He puiaki koe i te whare porowhita i rāwāhi ake nei, he mahi nui e kitea anō ai tēnā momo i a koe i reira.

Moe mai rā, e te rangatira, moe mai.

ENDS

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