He kanohi hōu ki Te Paepae Motuhake

Kua whakatūria i te rā nei a Te Kahautu Maxwell ō Te Moana a Toi, ki tētahi tūranga wātea i te Paepae Motuhake, ki te arotake i te rāngai me te rautaki reo Māori.

Nā te Minita Māori, nā Tākuta Pita Sharples, tēnei whakatau, ki te whakakī i te tūranga i whakawāteatia e Pem Bird ō Ngāti Manawa.

"Nā te nui o āna mahi hei tumuaki o tana kura-ā-iwi, me tana whakatūranga hei Perehitini o te Rōpū Tōrangapū Māori, ka heke mai ai a Pem i te Paepae Motuhake," e ai ki a Dr Sharples.

"Me mihi nui atu ki a Pem mō tana kaha ki te whakatakoto kaupapa mō te Paepae Motuhake, otirā ki ngā wāhi e pā ana ki ngā kaupapa ako tamariki, me te reo i roto i ngā hapori," hei tā te Minita.

"Me mihi anō ki Te Kahautu Makiwhara, kua whakaae mai nei ki te whakakī i te tūranga wātea ō Pem.

"Nō ngā waka o Horouta, o Tainui, o Mātaatua Te Kahautu, mai i Ngāti Porou, rātou ko Te Whānau a Apanui, ko Ngāi Tai, ko te Whakatohea, ko Ngāti Awa, tae atu ki Ngāi Tūhoe, whiti atu ki Ngāti Maniapoto.

"He pūkenga ia ki te reo me ngā tikanga Māori, he tohunga hoki nō te Hāhi Ringatū. He mātau ia ki ngā mahi o te Whare Tapere, he kaitito waiata, haka, poi, koia te kaiako o Ōpōtiki Mai Tawhiti, koia anō hoki te māngai mō Mātaatua ki Te Matatini. I tēnei wā, ko Te Kahautu te Pou o te Aka Tikanga i Te Pua Wānanga ki te Ao, arā, i te Whare Wānanga o Waikato.

"Nō reira, hoki atu e Pem ki te wā kāinga, haere mai Te Kahautu ki te Paepae Motuhake, kia ora kōrua, kia kaha tonu kōrua ki te kōkiri i ngā take e whai hua ai tō tātou reo rangatira," te kupu ā te Minita.

New face on Maori language review panel

Te Kahautu Maxwell, from the Bay of Plenty, has been appointed today to Te Paepae Motuhake, the independent panel reviewing the Maori language sector and strategy.

The Minister of Maori Affairs made the appointment to fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Pem Bird, of Ngati Manawa.

"The heavy workload of leading his Kura-a-iwi, coupled with his recent election as President of the Maori Party, has led Pem to resign from Te Paepae Motuhake," said Dr Sharples.

"I want to really thank Pem for helping to establish a firm footing for the review panel, especially the aspects relating to teaching children, and language in the commmunity," he said.

"I also want to thank Te Kahautu Maxwell, who has agreed to join Te Paepae Motuhake.

"Te Kahautu is from the waka confederations of Horouta, Tainui and Mataatua, stretching from Ngati Porou through Te Whanau a Apanui, Ngai Tai, te Whakatohea, Ngati Awa and Tuhoe, and across to Ngati Maniapoto.

"He is an expert in language and tikanga, and a Minister of the Ringatu Church. He is skilled in performing arts, as a composer of songs, haka and poi, and tutor of Opotiki Mai Tawhiti kapa haka, and he is Mataatua's rep on Te Matatini. Te Kahautu is currently head of Tikanga at Waikato University's School of Maori and Pacific Development.

"So we farewell Pem as he returns home, and welcome Te Kahautu to the Paepae Motuhake. I thank you both, and acknowledge your great contribution to our language," said Dr Sharples.