Adrienne Thompson shares her journey of learning te reo Mu0101ori.
E tu016b ana au i te pu016btake o Whu0101rangi, i te tahataha o Waipahihi, i te rohe o Te Atiawa. Nu014d Ingarangi, nu014d Ku014dtarana hoki u014dku tu012bpuna. I whu0101nau mai au, i tipu ake au i Inia, engari nu014d te manaakitanga o ngu0101 tu0101ngata whenua o Aotearoa e noho ana au i Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Nu014d ru0113ira, nei he mihi aroha.
I stand on Makara Peak, by Karori stream, within the domain of the Te Atiawa iwi. My forebears are from England and Scotland; I was born and grew up in India, yet because of the generosity of the people of the land I live now in Wellington. So here I offer my thanks.
When I decided to learn te reo Mu0101ori I thought it would be fun, interesting and worthwhile. Iu2019d lived in Bangladesh for 20 years and spoke fluent Bengali. It seemed only right on returning to live in New Zealand to learn the language here. It took 12 years to get around to it but in 2014 I enrolled in beginner classes.
I had no idea what I was getting myself into.
Iu2019m now in my fifth year of struggles and songs and not a few swear-words, many tears and some triumphs, a little pride and a lot of feeling like an idiot. This journey into te ao Mu0101ori (the Mu0101ori world) has been Godu2019s tool for my transformation in ways I never imagined.
So here is a small offering of thanks for what has been so generously shared with me.
Tu0113nu0101 koeu2014hello!
Early on in language classes I noticed that while most of us glanced around and said an awkward u201cHi guys,u201d one or two went purposefully to each person present, introducing themselves with a handshake or hongi. I gradually realised this is the Mu0101ori way. Every individual must be acknowledged. In fact thatu2019s the meaning of the everyday greeting u2018tu0113nu0101 koeu2019. There you are. I see you. In my current class, every single week, every single person greets every other person by name.
That takes time. That reminds me that nurturing relationships is worth the time it takes. Or, as the well-known saying declares: u201cWhat is the most important thing in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people.u201d
Ngu0101 mihiu2014thank you!
An extension of this courteous recognition of every individual is the uncompromising expectation that everyone must be thanked. Someone leads a prayer at the start of a meeting? Someone else will thank the person who prayed. Whether itu2019s making a speech, singing a song or serving the meal, the beautiful habit of the Mu0101ori world is that the gift never goes unacknowledged.
Iu2019ve been at Christian conferences where everyone enjoyed the food, but no one thought to call the cooks and servers in to thank them. That would be an unthinkable omission on a marae. Always someone must say thank you, always the group must sing, always those who have served us must hear our grateful appreciation.
Iu2019d like to make this my habit too. In church services I look around and notice the person on the projector, the musicians, the ones serving the coffee, the ones who opened the building, who brought the message, who welcomed the worshippers... How can I thank them?
Me karakia tu0101touu2014letu2019s pray!
This pattern of grateful recognition reaches further still. No meeting, no language class, no meal begins without a karakia. Even the kapu tu012b (cup of tea) and a snack in the middle of class must be blessed.
Often the words of the karakia are clearly Christian. Sometimes they are acknowledging the spiritual beings concerned with the forest, the ocean, the garden, the weather. Nearly always they will name our two foundational realities: earth and sky.
I love this repeated reminder of my dependency. We humans are not in control. We are sustained by ongoing generosity. Our food is grown in the earth, given life by rain and sun, brought to us by the labour of many people. The plans and activities we initiate are affected by spiritual realities. So often I forget. The practice of karakia puts my perspective right again.
No hea koeu2014where are you from?
I also learn from te ao Mu0101ori a connection to the landscape. Early on in our language journey we were invited to discover our pepeha (a personal introduction that establishes identity and heritage). What mountain, river, harbour or island defines my sense of belonging? I began to reflect on my family history. My great-grandparents in the UK, my own birth in India and my childrenu2019s in Bangladeshu2014all of us left behind the landmarks we first knew and came to find our place in Aotearoa. Now I orient myself, not by the high peak of Kanchenjunga, my childhood mountain, but by Whu0101rangi, the range of hills on which Karori stands. I pay my respect no longer to the Meghna river of Bangladesh but to the great harbour of Tarau2014Wellington Harbour.
With a sense of landscape comes a sense of delighting in the seasons as they were understood and experienced by Mu0101ori. One fascinating side effect is an increased sense of connection with the Hebrew people. Like the Mu0101ori, they surrendered the u2018first fruitsu2019 of their gardens. They watched the stars, and, again like Mu0101ori, associated the Pleiades with winter. Like the Mu0101ori they had a sense of the aliveness of all creation, calling on the mountains to rejoice, the trees to clap their hands, and the floods to lift up their voice in praise.
Whaia te iti kahurangiu2014persistently seek the treasure
There has been much joy for me in all this, but truth is, itu2019s also been hard. Turns out my language-learning brain has atrophied since my 20s! I donu2019t like making mistakes. I hate feeling foolish. Time after time Iu2019ve wanted to give up.
u201cGet over yourself,u201d says God lovingly, and shows me again how Iu2019m blessed. On this path I receive both gracious welcome and inspiring challenge. u201cKia kahau2014be strong, you can do it,u201d are the encouraging words I hear most often, spoken by my teachers, whispered by my fellow students. But also, the challenge, u201cKia maiau2014be brave!u201d Take a risk, be seen, fall over, try again. And from God, the invitation: u201cKia manawanuiu2014be patient. Listen, learn and grow.u201d
Thereu2019s so much more, but for now, here is my thankful mihi ki te ao Mu0101ori. He iti noa, nu0101 te aroha. A small offering, given with love.
Story: Adrienne Thompson
Adrienne and her husband Paul worked with NZBMS/Tranzsend for many years in Bangladesh. They now live in Wellington where Adrienne practices as a spiritual director and supervisor.
