Kua puku te rae o ngāi makau tiakarete i ngā kōrero kaikiri mō tā Whittaker's Miraka Kirīmi
Tuesday, 16 August 2022
He paraka tiakarete anake, heoti anō, tērā tonu ētahi e kī ana kua ōatemāka te whakanui i tētahi o ō Aotearoa reo ā-ture.
It’s just a block of chocolate, but for some it’s a step too far when it comes to embracing one of Aotearoa’s official languages.
Read this story in English here
Kua whakanene a Whittaker’s i tā rātou whakaputanga o tētahi uhi hōu mō tō Hepetema Wiki o te Reo Māori, e whakakanohitia nei tētahi o ngā horotai makau a te motu ki te reo Māori, te tiakarete Miraka Kirīmi.
Whittaker’s has released a teaser of a new wrapper ahead of September’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, covering one of the nation’s favourite treats Creamy Milk chocolate in reo Māori.
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Hei tā te pakihi, ki tētahi pōhi Pukamata āna, kua poho kererū te pakihi ā-whānau i te whakanui i Te Wiki o te Reo Māori mā te whāngai i te reo ki te motu mā te tiakarete, paraka mai, paraka atu, hei te 22 o Ākuhata.
The brand said in its Facebook launch post that the family-owned business was proud to celebrate Māori Language Week delivering te reo to the nation through its chocolate, one block at a time, from August 22.
“Ahakoa kua whakamahia kētia te uhi nei, koia tēnei te wā tuatahi kua wātea taupua nei ki ngā Makau Tiakatere i ngā toa puta noa i te motu.
“While we’ve had this label before, this is the first time we’re making it available for Chocolate Lovers in stores nationwide for a limited time!
“Ko te tūmanako, ka whaiwāhi te uhi ki te whakarauoratanga o te reo ki Aotearoa, ā, e tūmanako ana ka rata ngā Makau Tiakarete rātou ko ngā hoa, ko ngā whānau, ki tētahi paraka Miraka Kirīmi.”
“Our hope is that the label contributes to revitalising te reo in New Zealand, and we hope Chocolate Lovers enjoy a block of Miraka Kirīmi with their friends and whānau.”
Engari, kāore te katoa e rata nei ki te tautoko a tā rātou horotai i te kaupapa reo Māori, ā, tērā ētahi ngākau kino ā-tuihono e tere whiu nei i ngā kupu: “E tautoko ana au i tā te tangata ako i te reo, engari kaua pēnei. Engia ko ngā okaokanga whakature”, “Me whakamā koutou, Whittakers [kua hē], kāore mātou e hoko i ō tiakarete haere ake nei…” me “Me whakamāori ngā mea katoa ki te mari [kua hē].”
But not everyone is happy to see their sweet treat supporting the reo Māori kaupapa, with online haters quick to offer their opinions: “I support people learning te reo, but not in this manner. It feels like forced mandated injections”, “Shame on you Whittakers [sic] we certainly won't be buying your chocolates anymore…” and “Does everything have to be translated into mari [sic].”
Heoti, kua urupare ētahi anō ki ngā tākupu, me te tohu i te arero rua o ngā kōrero.
However, others have clapped back against the comments, pointing out how such views are hypocritical.
“Te āhua nei he tokomaha ka whakarērea hoki te pinot gris, te champagne, te savignon [kua hē] blanc, ngā taco, te sushi, te lasagne, te spaghetti bolognaise, ngā wonton, me ngā karī katoa, tā te mea ehara hoki ēnei i te reo Pākehā.”
“And I guess lots of folk will also be giving up pinot gris, champagne, savignon [sic] blanc, tacos, sushi, lasagne, spaghetti bolognaise, wontons, and pretty much any curry ever because they aren't in English either.”
“E hoa mā, kua pai te ritenga tonutanga o tāu kai i ngā mea nō reo kē, engari e kore e taea e koe tētahi panonitanga ingoa taupua mēnā ko te reo taketake, ko te reo ā-ture o te whenua e nōhia nei e koe?”
“Come on team, you happily consume things in foreign languages all the time but you can't embrace a tempory [sic] name change when it's the native, and official language of the country where you live?”
I kī mai Te Ahorangi Rawinia Higgins, e rāhiri nei Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori i te whakaputanga o te paraka.
Māori Language Commissioner Professor Rawinia Higgins said Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori welcomed the block’s release.
“Ki a rātou e tohetohe nei kua ōatemāka tēnei mō tō tātou whenua: ko te mea nei, kua anga kē te toenga o Aotearoa ki tērā huarahi. E mōhio ana tātou, he tokowaru i ia tekau e mea nei he wāhi o tō tātou tuakiri hei ngāi Aotearoa, ā, he kotahi i ia tokotoru e taea nei te kōrero i tua i atu i ngā kupu Māori ruarua anake.
“For those who have complained that this is a step too far for our country: the reality is that the rest of New Zealand has already taken that step. We know that eight in 10 of us see te reo as part of our identity as a Kiwi while one in three of us can speak more than a few words of Māori.
“Kei te tautoko ngā rangatahi ngāi Aotearoa i te panonitanga; kāore rātou e rongo i te wehi ina kite, ina rongo rānei i te reo, he mea māori katoa te reo ki a rātou.”
“Young New Zealanders are helping to drive change; they are not threatened when they see or hear te reo, they see te reo as absolutely normal.”
Hei tā te kaiwhakamāori o te uhi, tā Taurapa (Te Rarawa), nōnā i whakamāori i te uhi e rua ngā tau ki muri, kua whanake ake tā te motu kaingākau ki te reo Māori.
The block’s translator Taurapa (Te Rarawa) said since he translated the wrapper two years ago the nation’s acceptance of reo Māori had increased.
“Kua whakapae koe kua pai noa, nā reira e hanga ohorere ana kei te tohe te tangata i te tiakarete, tē mārama.
“You’d think that it would be OK this time around, so it is a bit surprising that people are having go at chocolate, I don't get it.
“E kaingākautia whānuitia a Whittaker’s i Aotearoa, he pakihi e kore nei e tino whai i te ngau kino a te tangata, nā reira i ohorere pai au i tā rātou whai i ēnei uruparenga.
“Whittaker’s is loved around New Zealand, it’s one of those companies that doesn't really have a negative following, so I thought it was quite surprising when they got this feedback.
“Katoa ngā mea i te ao nei, ka amuamu pea koe mō te reo Māori ki ngā pāpāhotanga he kore nōu e mārama, engari korekore kei te mōhio mārika koe ki tāu e hoko ana pena he paraka tiakarete.”
“Of all the things, you might complain about the news being in Māori because you don’t understand it, but surely you know what you’re buying when you’re buying a block of chocolate.”
E ai ki a Taurapa kua waia ia ki ngā tākupu tūkino mō te whakamahinga i te reo Māori, engari tonu e matangurunguru ana ia.
Taurapa said he’s used to seeing negative comments when reo Māori is represented, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t disappoint him.
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“Anō tonu te mamae, e pōhēhē ana te tangata ka whaipānga tēnei ki a ia, engia he pānga kino ki a ia anō.”
“It hurts just the same that people think that this is going to affect them in some meaningful way, they think it’s going to negatively impact them.”
Engari mō te Māori, ko te hora o te reo ki ngā wāhi o ia rā tērā e whai pānga ai, hei tā Taurapa, ina koa ki āna irāmutu.
But for Māori, it’s having more reo Māori in typical places that will have the most effect, Taurapa said, in particular for his nieces and nephew.
“E mōhio ana rātou ko te reo Pākehā te reo matua ki te ao whānui, engari pena rātou e kite nei ki ngā pātaka, ka māori te reo Māori ki a rātou, me te aha, ka hāneanea ake te whakamahinga tūmatanui i tōku taha.
“They know English is predominant everywhere you go, if they could see te reo Māori on the shelves it normalises te reo Māori for them, and they could feel more comfortable using it around me in public.
“Inā rā te mīharo kia kite i te reo Māori ki ngā wāhi matapōkere pēnā.”
“It would be awesome to see more reo Māori in random places like that.”
Translation by Stuff Kaihautū Reo Māori Taurapa.
He whakamāoritanga nā te Kaihautū Reo Māori ki Puna, nā Taurapa.