PROJECT BACKGROUND

1.BACKGROUND

In September 2009 a number of reo experts from the C Company rohe were convened by Dr Monty Soutar (then CEO of Te Runanga o Ngati Porou) to begin work translating into Maori the book, Nga Tama Toa: The Price of Citizenship.

As the author of the book (and trustee of the copyright holder of the book, Nga Taonga a Nga Tama Toa Trust) Dr Soutar was able to establish support for the project from both the Trust and the wider C Company iwi. 28 Maori Battalion C Company is a strong unifying concept in the Tairawhiti region bringing together the six iwi of Ngai Tai, Te Whanau a Apanui, Ngati Porou, Rongowhakaata, Ngai Tamanuhiri and Te Aitanga a Mahaki. 

Te Runanga o Ngati Porou, through this project sought to encourage and re-establish natural language transmission situations with an emphasis on dialect between native pakeke speakers and younger generations in a normal every day environment. As well as a focus on having schools participate, this was also an opportunity for the wider whanau, hapu and iwi of Tairawhiti to participate and contribute to the wananga. The use of a well-known and Tairawhiti inspired publication such as Nga Tama Toa was “the hook” to bringing everyone on board.

Te Runanga o Ngati Porou, through its contract with Ministry of Education has funded the hui costs and the recording of the project hui under the outcome of:
 
Te Reo Ake o Ngäti Porou
To strengthen cultural identity and learning through the further development of Te Reo Ake o Ngäti Porou and the support of te reo in Ngäti Porou schools/kura, köhanga and early childhood centres. 

2.  PROJECT METHOD:

The Translation project to date has been co-ordinated in a unique way which encourages:
     1.    inter-iwi  collaboration;
     2.    a wananga a iwi learning environment, and;
     3.    inter-generational transmission.

Inter-iwi  collaboration

Reo experts from all Tairawhiti and C Company iwi volunteered their time to translate each of the 18 chapters, either collectively as iwi (in the case of smaller iwi Ngai Tai and Ngai Tamanuhiri) or as individuals who are experts in the reo of their particular iwi (such as Kahu Stirling, Rutene Irwin, Dr Apirana Mahuika, Sir Tamati Reedy, Tussie Butler-Gamble, the late Dr Koro Dewes, Wiremu and Jossie Kaa, Lewis Moeau). These translators were supported by a wider panel of reo experts including some of the remaining C Company veterans and other pakeke from the rohe.

Wananga a iwi learning environment 

 Since 2009, 12 hui have been held throughout the C Company rohe where the translators presented their work publically to all learners and aficionados of Tairawhiti reo. Each hui was facilitated to extract discussions on the unique aspects of Tairawhiti and iwi-specific reo, while also an opportunity to listen to C Company’s war story with some of the remaining veterans present. At each hui there is an opportunity for the translators to read their translations interspersed with discussions (in English and Maori) by both the panel of experts and the hui on a range of grammatical, dialect, vocabulary, war related and historical topics.

This is perhaps the only ongoing project which brings together such a level of language expertise and numbers of pakeke across all of Tairawhiti.  The first hui held 22 September 2009 records, “Ko te whakautu a te katoa me hangai ki te wairua, ki te mita, me te mana o te reo. He reo o rohe ke, ki ta nga wahine, ki ta nga tane engari ko te mea nui ake kia pumau ki te mana me te wairua o te reo.” This highlights the quality control type decisions the panel made as a collective and the ownership with which they have invested in the project. The translators have worked voluntarily and have been generous of their expert knowledge in wananga environments.

Through this project the community are given access to a high level academic wananga where discussions on mita o te reo is the central objective. This promotes awareness and a revival of iwi dialect and its preservation as a community learning aspiration and goal.

3. COMPLETED CHAPTERS:

4.  NGA HUI, NGA MAHI September 2009 – June 2011

13 Hune 2011, hui ki Apanui RSA, TE KAHA
- Chapter 4 Po Atarau Somewhere in England Na Tussie Butler-Gamble
- Chapter 6 Te Pae o te Riri, na Kahu Stirling

28 Hanuere 2011, hui ki Maori Battalion Marae, MANUTUKE
- Chapter 7: Wiriwiri kau ana. Na Lewis Moeau.

3 December 2010, Hui ki Torere Marae, TORERE  
-  Chapter 3 : Whakatipua he ingoa mo tatou Na Bill Maxwell raua ko Muriwai Jones;
-  Chapter 2:  Te Ope Hoia Maori  Na Rutene Irwin.

5 Oketopa 2010, Hui ki Te Kareti o Ngata ki te hui whakamaumahara ki a Ta Apirana Ngata, RUATORIA
-  Chapter 17: Tomo mai e tama ma Na Dr Apirana Mahuika.

15 o Hurae 2010, Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Te Wai U o Ngati Porou, RUATORIA
- Chapter 9: Te Urutanga mai o te wehi Na Jossie & Willie Kaa
- Chapter 4: Po Atarau Na Tussie Butler-Gamble

31 o Mei 2010, Te Taapapa o te Tairawhiti ki TURANGA NUI A KIWA
-  Chapter 9 : Te urutanga mai o te wehi Na Willie raua ko Jossie Kaa.

27 o Maehe 2010, Te Whare Taonga o Te Tairawhiti, TURANGA NUI A KIWA
-  Chapter 5: Te Wa Kainga Na Tussie Butler-Gamble
-  Chapter 10: Mafeesh Faloush Na Willie raua ko Jossie Kaa.

15 o Pepuere 2010, Lawson Field Theatre, TURANGA NUI  A KIWA
- Pp. 19 – 23 Horouta Whanaunga: Na Dr Koro Dewes
- Pp. 19 – 23: Na Rutene Irwin
- pp. 204 – 209: Na Jossie and Willie Kaa
- Chapter 5, Te Wa Kainga: Na Tussie Butler-Gamble
- Upoko 17: I whakarapopo i nga mahi kua mahia na Dr Apirana Mahuika.

7 December 2009, Lawson Field Theatre, Gisborne
- pp. 23- 29: Ta Tamati Reedy
- pp. 334-357: Dr Apirana Mahuika

2 Noema 2009, Te Puni Kokiri, Gisborne
- pp. 1 – 19: Dr Apirana Mahuika
- discussion paper on translating and features of language: Dr Tamati Reedy

22 September 2009, Te Puni Kokiri, Gisborne
- Nga korero timatanga.