This morning, I received several newsletters from overseas. These hidden stories are being shared with others, not fake stories, as I work from home in a resilient, supportive rural environment. The post came through LinkedIn from Matthew Tukaki, Chair of the National Māori Authority, Aotearoa/New Zealand: “Just for a moment, let’s step back.

Put the politics aside.

Put the noise down.

Look around you and really see Aotearoa — the land of the long white cloud.
The beauty in every maunga and valley.
The reflection of the sky in our awa.
The quiet strength of our coastlines, our forests, our towns, our people.
We may not all agree. That’s okay.

But one thing is certain — we are stronger together.

We are not Trump’s America.

We are Aotearoa — a beautiful country with immens…..” Wish to read more and go to this link. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/matthewtukaki_just-for-a-moment-lets-step-back-put-ugcPost-7421706955297099776-T7uT?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAjOMIwBDoyWlGCoauJDu55eiFuBMvoUgY0

I took a break to refresh my thoughts and read Matthew’s post. It was calming to reflect with a cup of coffee and my two dogs beside me.

The world has been changing constantly and without warning. Global weather disasters, wars, trauma, rising living costs, lack of affordable housing, struggling businesses, and increasing poverty affect millions of people with physical and invisible disabilities.

Where is the compassion, empathy, and teamwork in leadership roles in a world full of egopaths? There are arrogant people, even among millionaires and billionaires, but only a few truly altruistic wealthy individuals. What about those who stand firmly against oppression, suppression, and tyranny? Have you thought about the true meaning of wealth, in giving to those who need it, investing in education and innovation, not in poor planning and design? Anyone can be filled with riches in their hearts.

Perhaps those who know me understand my improvisation in blogging, storytelling, mentoring, and sharing resources as a deaf person with disabilities, historian, advocate, and advisor. Their encouragement has helped me continue to grow, improvise, and learn. I am thankful to these people in my life and work.

“Just let people be wrong about you. It does not matter. Just be a good person and let them be wrong.

People will always form opinions about you, and not all of them will be right. You cannot control what they believe or say. What you can control is how you act and the choices you make. Focus on kindness, honesty, and integrity. Being true to yourself matters more than proving others wrong. Motivational Life Quotes

Recently, over the last few weeks, the D/deaf community lost their favourite teacher aide of Deaf students, the school principal of the Primary School in Hamilton, and a Deaf senior of the Deaf community and the Waikato Deaf Society Inc, from 1956 to 1999 (Dissolved in 2004). I listened to and read their comments in messages and during the funeral service. Several D/deaf students and families of Deaf seniors recalled their favourite memories to share with us. One person shared a speech from a son-in-law who remembered his Deaf mother: a strict upbringing, the uncertainty of communicating in sign language with his deaf mother and father-in-law, and the deaf mother-in-law’s famous phrase, calling someone a silly old man and giving him a clip on the head several times. A brother-in-law mentioned that his sister-in-law crashed into power poles without a seatbelt and wasn’t fazed by the police’s warning. The messages from the D/deaf students recalled their favourite teacher aide through their memories of her as a caring, warm-hearted person, compassion and empathy to many Deaf students through Waikato schools.

The disaster in Mauao, also known as Mount Maunganui, a 232-metre dormant volcanic cone, was the most significant landslide and killed six people this year. This was not the only disaster. There were several others in Welcome Bay, which killed two people, as well as in the East Coast, Coromandel, and parts of Greater Auckland, such as landslides. Mauao was the worst in many years due to heavy rain, poor understanding of soil environments, and failures in response and prevention. Mauao was a highlight of my childhood, where our family lived and spent school holidays.

What more can I put down at the moment, as I looked at the clock and the time flew by?

As 2025 ends and 2026 begins, we’re curious about what’s ahead. Now in our sixties and seventies, we live in the countryside near Hamilton. Over the years, we’ve faced ups and downs in work, relationships, money, family, friends, and health.

We have lived in Eureka, Waikato, for 12 years.

Life in Eureka isn’t without its challenges, but it’s pleasant here. We’re away from Hamilton but close to towns like Cambridge, Morrinsville, Te Aroha, Matamata, and Ngāruawāhia.

Living here has meant adapting to changes in life and finances, but we’re managing. I still teach, advocate, and mentor in our communities, learning about disabilities and how they affect people in business and health. We also spend time working in our large gardens and around the property, maintaining the woods for firewood, pruning trees, fixing the fence, and planting new bulbs and plants.

Recent government decisions have made things harder for many, with funding cuts, higher taxes, less support for seniors and people with disabilities, fewer retirement options, and business closures. Across New Zealand, people feel both hope and worry about money, inflation, changes at work, health issues, and moving to retirement villages or smaller homes near family.

Many countries are facing worsening situations and deeper crises, like Ukraine-Russia, Israel-Gaza-Palestine, Venezuela, Cuba-USA, and Iran. All except Greenland have fallen into poverty because of the economic crisis.

I think Trump should step back, since he doesn’t own any countries, control resources, or have the power to stop the drug trade and other problems. The same goes for Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu, who want land and resources, build more housing for their own people, and push aside Palestinian communities as history repeats itself. It all comes down to greed and power.

Instead of focusing on the world’s chaos, I’m trying to stay positive. What will 2026 bring for us here?

“The future depends on what we do in the present.” – Mahatma Gandhi

With the New Zealand election coming up, I read about a group doing great teamwork in the Disability Sector and public communities. New Zealand relies heavily on debt, which has grown 4.7 times in 25 years—from $128.8 billion in 2000 to $608.7 billion in 2025. That’s a 372% increase, much higher than the 35% population growth. Debt per person tripled, from $33,378 in 2000 to $117,054 in 2025, a 251% rise. On January 1, 2026, net borrowing was $15.6 billion. Net worth dropped by $3.8 billion to $465.0 billion, after a $26.5 billion increase in 2024. Net debt went up $25.1 billion to $115.2 billion in the year ending June 2025. This is due to fiscal management over the past six years or more. New Zealand’s economy has faced significant challenges, including a deeper-than-average recession, low growth, and high inflation, affecting households and businesses.

Housing and jobs are the biggest challenges for many disabled people, D/deaf people, and thousands of homeless people across New Zealand. Low benefits, high inflation, and struggling businesses make things harder. It’s also tough to access skills and equipment in ways that are accessible and free of ableism.

“There is nothing like a dream to create the future.” – Victor Hugo

I am focusing on making time to keep moving on two projects: Waikato Deaf Units and Waikato Deaf Society Inc., 1956-1999 (dissolved in 2004), despite little help or support from other Deaf people in the community, except for a small number of seniors. I am updating the website domains through WordPress.com and budgeting the annual website costs. Work and Advisory Groups keep me busy as I juggle time to type stories, put photos together, upload them to the website, and store them safely in hard storage and on iCloud drive. Through spare times I was on leave for surgeries and took several weeks leave from 2 works so I can focus on my health resume last year.  I will try my best to finish these projects.

With the wild weather continuing to disrupt everyone’s holidays, the worst disasters were flooding and landslides in Northland and at Mauao in Mount Maunganui. Several people were killed in a landslide at Mauao and Welcome Bay, while one or two people died in roaring flooding that swept them away. The world is affected by global climate change, which creates man-made disasters faster than anyone can cope with the crises that follow.

“Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” – Helen Keller

These words from Helen Keller can help remind us that while hardship and difficulty are a part of life, resilience is too. Even when things are difficult, there is always the possibility for growth and healing.

Having two weeks break under one Disability Organisation, and I am on the second week of the break, despite the weather not being so great for me to start with the garden weeding, planning the jobs in the garden and many other lists. That is okay!

As you’re aware, Spring has already sprung here, and we’re eagerly awaiting the arrival of Summer! The anticipation is palpable, and I can’t wait to see how the garden transforms with the change in season. The excitement is contagious, and I hope you’re as thrilled as I am for what’s to come. It’s a journey we’re all part of, and I’m excited to share it with you.

It’s a delight to see the bees buzzing around the fresh flowers, diligently collecting pollen for honey and pollinating other blooms. Their presence is a reminder of the interconnectedness of nature, and I’m deeply grateful for their role in the garden. It’s moments like these that make me appreciate the beauty of our natural world.

New seedlings popped up, and it is not yet ready for planting in the vegetable garden. I need to think carefully about a rabbit-proof barrier around the seedlings in the garden. Yes, I do have rabbit-repelling stuff, such as a combination of physical obstacles and natural deterrents like certain plants, and it is working well. Mm, better throw out plenty of pumpkin seeds there and over there, anywhere.

The strawberry garden is thriving, and it’s a joy to see the urgent need for weeding and weekly fruit fertiliser. The same goes for the Blueberries garden-they’re doing well and it’s a testament to the care and attention they’ve received! It’s truly inspiring to see the results of our hard work, and it fills me with hope for the future of our garden.

I am focusing on doing plant cuttings and contacting a couple of friends I know who have dahlia bulbs before Labour Weekend. By looking at the weather forecast, a Labour Day Monday is not going to be good; however, who knows what the weather will bring for us in Waikato? The anticipation for these upcoming plans is palpable, and I can’t wait to see how they unfold.

The greenhouse needs a bit of tidying up while caspuim plants are still producing caspuim fruits through Winter to present. Kumuras are ready for digging out and preparing for the next stage of planting fresh kumuras inside the greenhouse for a long, productive period of time. Just like Potatoes, too!

No fear for my last week of the holiday break, I am looking forward to an extended annual leave under two organisations before Christmas 2025 until mid-January 2026. It is a once-a-year one-month leave.

Flowering shrubs and trees are doing well, and there is plenty of time to do pruning of old branches and trimming heights once winter flowering finishes. The Five Cherry trees field will be displayed with flowers, not fruits, in one large field. Roses are coming out, and fear not about late pruning. I will trim and remove the dead stems and branches in the rose garden. There is no harm done if anyone forgot to do the pruning of the roses or not.

The large centre garden, as I call it, the Golden Totara garden, is a special place where the beautiful display of colour of the golden totara tree stands tall and mightily displays colours of the changing seasons every year. Currently, the shrubs, Manuka shrubs and kowhai tree need attention to do jobs such as trimming, weeding and laying down mulch of old totara leaves and branches, which were trimmed back by one of my Christian friend’s sons, who is an aborist qualified and runs a business early this year. Sigh, by seeing the last chunks of logs waiting to be cut up and stored in the large barn for firewood within one to two years.

Mm, there are lots more shrubs, lavender shrubs, bottlebrush trees and many more in our large property. We bought our homes (there were two houses – one house now) with a double carport, a double garage and a large barn over 50 years back in October Labour Weekend in 2014. The gardens grew by adding more trees, vegetables and fruit trees and expanding the size to allow the control of wind breaks and privacy screening. Mm, Flaxes, a type of plant that we particularly love for its beauty and resilience, reminding me, and I need more flaxes from a large flaxes section, the point head of the intersection of the state highway road and a small public road. By putting more flaxes, we will be planting along the entrapment stream opposite the private farms – share farming. This section will control a place for many ducks, pukeos, of course, bloody rabbits, a nest and a security place while maintaining flaxen fences border lines to stop erosion of the banks, despite the ever-changing nature of Global Warming becoming increasingly alarming and destroying the environment.

We love our home and gardens until we decide to move within fifteen or twenty-five years with our dogs, because we are over 60 years old and continue to work.

Mane 6 o Oketopa (Monday 6th October)

Tūhono (Connect)

Extract from the Mental Health Foundation site NZ

Connect, me whakawhanaunga

Talk and listen – me kōrero, me whakarongo, be there – me whakawātea i a koe, feel connected – me rongo i te whanaungatanga

The ability to form relationships is a fundamental aspect of what makes us human. Positive social interactions make us feel happy, connected and secure. Building meaningful relationships with family/whānau, friends, and the community goes a long way to increasing your sense of belonging and strengthening personal wellbeing. Through sharing experiences, you can discover how you can help others. It also means that during times of distress, you have the support you need to get through. 

Connect with people who make you feel valued and appreciated. This might include your whānau/family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. Here are some examples:

• Smile at someone else.
• Take the time to find out something you didn’t know about someone you know.
• Contact a friend you have not seen or spoken to for a while.
• Reach out to someone who may be lonely and invite them to spend time with you.
• Connect with someone you’ve lost touch with on social media and share a happy memory you have of them.
• Introduce yourself to a new parent or family at your child’s school.
• Eat dinner with the whānau. Play a game of ‘table talk’ where each person reports about their day’s events, including the best thing that happened, the funniest thing and anything they didn’t enjoy.
• Take time to read your local newspaper or newsletter – find out what’s going on in your area.
• Host a potluck catch-up or BBQ with neighbours, friends or whānau.
• Join a group: it could be your local sports team, book club, choir – whatever interests you most!
• Organise a baby photo competition with friends or colleagues – match the person to the baby!
• Connect with the whenua; grab some mates and get into the great outdoors – go on a bush walk, go surfing, or mountain biking.
• Have a family WiFi, TV, and text-free day and bring out the old board games.

The theme is Unique and United, celebrating what makes every member of this community special.

It is a global day dedicated to celebrating the remarkable resilience of people with cerebral palsy (CP), raising awareness for CP, and advocating for a more accessible and supportive future for those affected by this common lifelong physical disability. 

#UniquelyCP

World Cerebral Palsy Day is about recognition, inclusion, and action for the 50 million people worldwide who live with cerebral palsy. It’s a day to celebrate the achievements of the CP community, challenge barriers, and strive for a more accessible and inclusive world. We all have a role to play in this. https://worldcpday.org/

It’s important to remember that people with CP are a diverse group, often living with more than one disability, such as being deaf, blind, or a wheelchair user.

To celebrate and support the CP community, raise awareness about the condition, and advocate for policy changes, research, and lifelong care for people with CP and CP with disabilities.  CP360 was born from a desire to transition from awareness to action. It is a global movement for accelerating change for the millions of people living with CP. It advocates for more current global data on CP, earlier screenings and interventions, evidence-based services, and equitable access to care and services, particularly for individuals living in underserved areas.

https://cerebralpalsyguidance.com/2025/09/22/world-cerebral-palsy-day-2025-unique-and-united/

 #WorldCPDay

#UniqueAndUnited

In my workplace, I have three Deaf people with CP and other disabilities, and I stay in touch with them through daily and weekly video calls/home visits and text messages. They have different types of CP – two females in wheelchairs due to their advanced age (Diplegia), one male senior with a walking stick, speech impaired and slow walking mobility (dyskinetic/hemiplegic/ataxic) and a middle-aged man who regularly stays fit (spastic and diplegic CP). They lead different lives in the D/deaf community. Now, the male senior is facing a couple of new health issues, which have led him to struggle for the rest of his life alone with the hearing boarder.

Let’s ask a couple of questions about whether the D/deaf people in their own community understand their friends, ex-schoolmates, or friends with CP well enough or to what extent? For example, many D/deaf seniors know their ex-schoolmate as in the above list; however, they did not realise his full disabilities and found his communication with them hard to understand what he was saying.

There is one young lady, and she has a mix of cerebral palsy, which is Triplegia/ataxic/dyskinetic. She is very bright, bubbly, and tries to do the work as well as she can. She is not deaf like us.

Support many people with CP in the community to live fulfilling lives, be inclusive, and allow them the opportunity to choose where they would like to be, whether at home, in a resthome, or with their families. Let them try out new activities they can enjoy.

The essential tools for them and you to make more accessible, equal Human Rights for all, and to effect policy changes for equality. Listen to them, not ignore them, and set aside any concerns if you’re unsure of what to do or feel embarrassed.

Thursday 24th September 2025

Deaf Rights in Crises

Effective disaster planning for deaf communities hinges on strong leadership and collaborative efforts. The use of national sign languages and D/deaf-centred strategies significantly bolsters crisis response. It’s vital to bear in mind that Article 11 of the UNCRPD and the Sendai Framework are not mere guidelines, but legal mandates that necessitate states and organisations to ensure that D/deaf people have access to information in sign language during emergencies. Extract from the World Federation of Deaf People and amended by Jean.

file:///Users/jeanmasters/Downloads/WFD-WASLI-Guidelines-on-Access-to-Information-in-SL-During-Emergency-Broadcasts_Final.pdf

Consider the ongoing crises in Gaza vs Israel, Ukraine vs Russia, where wars have persisted for years. The long-term impact of these conflicts on deaf communities is dire, with millions of people exhausted, striving for peace, and seeking to rebuild their lives, well-being, and mental health to achieve long-term recovery. The reality of people becoming permanently disabled from bombing, malnutrition, and starvation is stark. They are gradually adapting to new disabilities, relearning to navigate their lives, and finding ways to be independent in their new lives or in safe environments

Regrettably, there is no perfect tool of technology to alert millions of D/deaf people, D/deaf with disabilities and Hard of Hearing people to evacuate or escape from humanity’s disasters and wars. While several sponsorship companies have developed watches that alert them to flee, the current aid efforts and technology are insufficient. There is a pressing need for innovation and improvement in this area.

Consider the challenges faced by the deaf community in accessing interpreters, as highlighted through breaking news on media and social media. Without assistance and access to the best information on where to obtain food parcels, medical supplies, hospital supplies, shelter, and other resources, it is a daunting task to support thousands of people.

https://remix.aljazeera.com/aje/PalestineRemix/stronger-than-words.html#/13

https://actionaid.org/news/2024/i-dont-hear-sirens-war-ukraine-intensifies-people-disabilities-face-deadly-toll

Language Diversity and the Deaf Experience in Ukraine

https://www.cufoundation.ca/support-for-the-deaf/

Mā te kimi ka kite, Mā te kite ka mōhio, Mā te mōhio ka mārama

Seek and discover. Discover and know. Know and become enlightened.

Māori myths (pūrākau) 

In Aotearoa, Te Iwi Māori (people) speak of their traditional stories explaining the origins of the world and cultural practices. Often they speak of their ancestors in their marae.

https://eng.mataurangamaori.tki.org.nz/Support-materials/Te-Reo-Maori/Maori-Myths-Legends-and-Contemporary-Stories/Kupe-s-travels-around-Aotearoa

Our past Education has been enriched by the profound teachings of Māori myths (pūrākau). These stories, such as Maui and the Sun, Ranginui, the Sky Father, and Papatūānuku, the Earth Mother, are not just tales, but the very fabric of our cultural identity. They are the primal parents of the world, the Fish of Maui -Te ika a Māui: The creation of the North Island, Hinemoa and Tūtānekai, Paikea the Whale Rider, and many other Myths.

What about the stories of the te hunga hauā Māori (disabled Māori people)? Yes, there were several stories, for example, the blind god Tāwhirimātea; however, they were not widely taught in Primary Education until higher Education and universities. Who is Tāwhirimātea? In Māori legend, Tāwhirimātea is the god of weather, controlling winds, storms, thunder, and lightning.

“The way Māori view being disabled is tapu (sacred), and Matariki is a good example. Matariki is named after Tāwhirimātea, a blind god.”  

https://www.acc.co.nz/newsroom/stories/finding-the-meaning-of-matariki

Let’s go back to the Te hunga turi Māori (Māori Deaf people). I sourced any video in NZSL Māori concepts of the Myths for everyone to learn in Education, at the libraries, online resources and in the communities. The resources I have found are waiata (songs) and fun, entertaining waiata that incorporate Te Reo Māori sign language concepts.

https://www.nzsl.govt.nz/nzsl-community-grants/previous-nzsl-community-grant-rounds/2023-recipients/a-maori-legend-story-told-in-vr360

Regrettably, my search for YouTube videos about NZSL Te Reo sign language concepts in the myths has been in vain. This morning, I spoke to one of the iwi turi, and it became clear that there is currently no plan to create Māori myths in Te Reo sign language concepts. This underscores the urgent need to bring these stories to the communities, Education, and whanau (families) communities, and the only platform available for this is a Facebook Page.

Taangata/Iwi Turi needs to understand the myths of their generation as treasures, as depicted in murals on the marae walls and carvings, and traditions to pass on to the next generation over many years. Today, we have amazing technology, especially AI, that offers a beacon of hope. It allows tamariki turi Māori (Māori Deaf children) to utilise their skills and ensures that our myths are not only preserved but also made accessible to all.

“manaaki whenua, manaaki tāngata, haere whakamua”. Which translates to “if we take care of the land and take care of the people, we will take care of the future.”

Many of you may know or be unaware that there are many ancient languages, like Manx Gaelic, that are nearly dying around the world. The last native speaker, 97-year-old fisherman Ned Maddrell of the Isle of Man, passed away in 1974. This language is a poignant example of the global issue of language endangerment.

What about Manchu – is the Chinese language native to Northeast China? From 1636 to 1911, the Chinese Qing Dynasty announced Manchu as an official language. Manchu is becoming endangered because its native speakers have been replacing it with Mandarin, primarily due to social and economic pressures. This is a common trend in many language endangerment cases.

Examples of Dying Languages

• Ainu (Japan): Critically endangered, spoken by a few elderly individuals, and subject to long-standing assimilation policies. 
• Nǀuu (South Africa): A critically endangered language with only about eight speakers remaining, although revitalisation efforts are underway. These efforts, which include language classes and cultural events, are a testament to the resilience of the Nǀuu community and the importance of preserving their language. Lengilu (Indonesia): Spoken by only four people in the northeastern region of Kalimantan. 
• Tehuelche (Argentina): The language of nomadic hunters, now spoken by the last four speakers in Patagonia. 
• Ainu (Japan): Critically endangered, with only a few fluent speakers remaining. 
• Ter Sami (Russia): Spoken by only two older adults in the Kola Peninsula, a language that was once prohibited in schools. 
• Kayardild (Australia): Flown by only four elderly Aboriginal people on Bentinck and Mornington Islands. 
• Yarawi (Papua New Guinea): A language from the Morobe Province used by only one person, with most natives preferring the Binandere language. 

According to Ethnologue, 3,193 languages are endangered today. However, with concerted community efforts, we can work towards preserving these invaluable linguistic treasures.

“He iti te mokoroa, nāna i kati te kahikatea” (The caterpillar small, though it felled the kahikatea tree), which encourages persistence and significant achievements from small beginnings.

Today, we are learning to speak Te Reo through daily life, while many Tāngata Turi Māori are slowly learning to read and understand Te Reo before applying it to Te Reo Sign language concepts.

Here are two different Te Reo sign language concepts from two other organisations. Take a good look at the sign language differences between these two Karakia (Prayers) – Timatanga. Timatanga means ‘new beginning,’ a phrase that embodies life, introduction, commencement, and start.

In Ko Taku Reo Education for the Deaf Timatanga –

Te Reo sign language concept.

First line – sign for peace and widespread

Second line – sign for sea, glisten and a different sign for glisten (as greenstone in the bottom hand as a stone, while the top hand is glisten)

Third line – sign for the day and the pathway

Fourth line – sign for respect for each other

fifth line – sign for all together

Second Timatanga from Deaf Aotearoa

first line – sign for peace, wide and spread

second line – sign for whakapapa, precious/treasure/sacred/value/worth and sea

third line – sign for pathway, all and day

fourth line – sign for show, love (Aroha) and respect

Fifth line – sign for all, each other, and show instead of one hand toward outward, then the second hand toward outward, and finally both hands outward, as in pural.

“tātou” means “we” or “us” and katoa means all, we, completely

“With your contribution and mine, the people will thrive. “

Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou, ka ora ai te iwi.

A proverb of shared abundance. It reminds us that a community thrives when each of us brings what we can.

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) is a profound celebration that unveils the beauty and depth of the Māori language, inviting us to explore its richness and diversity.

As we approach the 50th anniversary of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, a week that holds immense historical significance, 

Tēnā koutou/Tēnā koe e hoa

There are 15 distinct sounds within the Māori alphabet. They are:

• five vowels: a, e, i, o, u
• eight consonants: h, k, m, n, p, r, t, w
• two digraphs (two letters that combine to form one sound): wh, ng.

Double long vowels (Macrons (tohutō or pōtae) and double vowels show where a vowel is lengthened, for example, in words like ‘rōpū’ and ‘roopuu’ (group).

Combinations of vowels (diphthongs) are common; examples of diphthongs are au, ao, ea, ia, ou, oa.

a, (short vowel) papa (earth)

ā, (long vowel) pāpā (father)

e, (short vowel) kete (kit)

ē, (long vowel) pēke (bag )

i, (short vowel) mihi (greeting)

ī, (long vowel) tītī (mutton bird)

o, (short vowel) oma (run)

ō, (long vowel) tō (your)

u, (short vowel) huruhuru (hair)

ū, (long vowel) tūrū (chair)

https://www.maorilanguage.net/how-to-pronounce-maori/

“Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora a mua,” which translates to “Those who lead give sight to those who follow; those who follow give life to those who lead”. 

Iti noa ana he pito mata.

From the withered tree, a flower blooms.

Understanding and learning Te Reo sign language for the Tangata turi Māori is not just a crucial step towards cultural understanding and inclusivity, but also a mark of respect and consideration.

The official language, Te Reo, was introduced into Parliament after a long campaign, protests, and protest marches. This protest marked a significant milestone in the language’s history, demanding the right to be taught in all schools and government agencies. Te Petihana – The Petition was handed in 1972 by two of these groups, which were student organisations: Auckland-based Ngā Tamatoa (The Young Warriors) and Victoria University’s Te Reo Māori Society. https://www.parliament.nz/mi/visit-and-learn/history-and-buildings/te-rima-tekau-tau-o-te-petihana-reo-maori-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-maori-language-petition/te-petihana-reo-maori-the-maori-language-petition/

Over thousands of years ago, Māori people originated from East Polynesia and began arriving in Aotearoa in several waves of waka voyages between approximately 1250 and 1300 CE. European people arrived later as explorers, traders, sealers, and church missionaries to Aotearoa. Over two hundred years ago, there was a brink of speaking Te Reo throughout Aotearoa, with ups and downs. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education banned the use of Te Reo in schools across Aotearoa, leaving children speaking Te Reo at home and in their communities. Note that there was no officially recognised language in English since the Parliament opened here; everyone speaks English, along with other languages such as Dutch, Irish, and many other languages.

Te Reo Māori started to decline at a time when many Māori linguists, Māori MPs, and Kaumātua (Māori elders) noticed grave concerns and began to campaign for its revival in the 1980s.  Māori was made an official language of New Zealand under the Māori Language Act 1987. For more information on this history, please visit the following link.

History of the Māori language | NZ History

Let’s explore our official NZSL (New Zealand Sign Language), and note that there was no Te Reo sign language by the Taangata turi Māori from the 1980s. I was in London, UK during the OE in 2004, 2005 and 2006, and was requested by one of the MPs who is related to our family to visit the House of the Lord by seeking the document in Education and officially in the language there. The reason was that the official language, such as NZSL, was in English, omitting Te Reo sign language at the time for the Deaf community. NZSL became official on April 11, 2006, under the NZ Sign Language Act, and I recall that day because it coincided with my late cousin’s birthday during the third reading of the bill in Parliament.

Today, many Taangata turi Māori are learning to understand and use Te Reo to fit into Māori Sign Language concepts by using English words, such as elder vs Kaumātua, in a different sign or similar. It is a long journey for them to learn to understand how to sign the correct meaning to fit into Te Reo, meaning, how to break down the clusters of meaning from Te Reo. For example, my childhood memory is of Ruakura, outside Kirikiriroa (“long stretch of gravel”) in Hamilton, and the Ruakura Agriculture Research Centre. Waikato Agricultural College and Model Farm was established in 1888 in Ruakura, where our family had been farming for many years. The sign language for Ruakura is tapping double ‘r’ as a crooked finger on the palm. This sign language is okay, and I prefer to sign ‘pit’ and ‘red’ colour, connecting to the meaning of Ruakura.

‘RUAKURA IS NAMED AFTER A PIT IN THE AREA THAT WAS USED TO BURN IRON OXIDE’. Traditionally, large pieces of iron oxide found in swamps were heated by burning in a fire to produce a powdery red pigment. Māori people mixed water with the sacred red Kokowai (ochre), which was used for painting tapu ceremonial objects, koiwi and carvings. Burning the red oxide stained the pit red, thereby giving rise to the name Rua (hole or pit) kura (red)’. Source: An Assessment of the Potential Impact that any expansion and development of the Ruakura Estate might have on Cultural Values and Mana Whenua by NaMTOK Consultancy Ltd (November 2011) https://ngatihauaiwitrust.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Final-Presentation-to-Hui-a-Iwi-28-October-2018.pdf

Yes, there is another meaning, which is feather plumes or treasures. Taangata turi Māori and the Deaf people in the community need to learn to understand the meaning of Te Reo, the history and how to sign correctly. It is not about the right or wrong way to sign for anyone in the community.

On Facebook, there is one page that I enjoy watching the most, from a person who helps anyone pronounce words correctly. Paaka Davis – Māori Content Creator, and one of his videos was about how to pronounce Aotearoa. Here is the link

https://www.facebook.com/paakadavis/

http://www.youtube.com/@paakadavis