To kick things off for Te Wiki o te reo Māori at Hoani Tapu – St Johns Theological College, Tikanga Pākehā student Luke Watson led Monday’s morning prayer completely in te reo Māori.
In the historic chapel at St John’s, hearing te reo Māori has become a familiar experience, reflecting the colleges effort to honour and nurture the language.
Watson, originally from Christchurch first felt a yearning to learn te reo Māori as a youth worker in 2014.
“I encountered an alternative education school that we were doing some mahi with. They invited us to a prize giving, and I heard the prize giving being presented in rumaki reo (full immersion). It was the first time I think I’ve been in an environment with that much reo. I didn’t understand a thing, but it sat in my heart like something special, and I felt this sort of sense of desire, a longing to learn te reo,” he says.
He “naively” enrolled into the reo Māori course at CPIT – now Ara Institute in Christchurch and hasn’t looked back.
“I’ve recently become aware of the beautiful invitation and grace extended to me. Starting at that whare, starting at Te Puna Wānaka, and the kaiako there, and in the way the community was very kind and gracious, and accommodating to the Pākehā fella who had so many blind spots,” he says.
There, he quickly realised that the reo was a ‘beautiful gift ki ngā iwi katoa’. That was reaffirmed when he was introduced to a karakia composed by Ven. Sir Kingi Ihaka.
“And as I learnt this karakia at Te Puna Wanaka, this wasn’t a Hāhi Mihinare type thing – I felt really encouraged as a tauiwi, as a Pākehā coming in, realising āe, he tino taonga te reo.
“I think languages are beautiful, and they carry people, whakapapa, story, connections and aroha. So, I hold it as someone who’s received a taonga from other people. I start giving acknowledgement to the space that started and held me in that journey, it’s not my reo, it’s a reo that was given to me to see it flourish and grow.”
At the time, Luke was attending Pentecostal churches, but he is now part of the Diocese of Christchurch. He says his journey into te reo Māori has offered a different perspective on the scriptures, conversely, having a like-minded community around him has helped grow an understanding of te ao Māori.
“The moment you step into a community to learn te reo, you are also stepping into a worldview, and that starts to shift massively. You start to shift into a whole experience, that is completely encompassing of everything.”
He started studying at St John’s earlier this year with the intention of ordination. And, while he admits being a bit overzealous at times in his pursuit of te reo Māori, he has found comfort and safety to continue practising his faith in te reo Māori at the college. He has the help of Tikanga Māori students and kaiako such as Rev. Dr Wayne Te Kaawa and Victor Mokaraka.
“It comes back to the flourishing of people and language. So, to be in a space around people who are just giants in the way they have, hold and care for this taonga, I find that really comforting.
“I’ve been continually and reminded that it’s okay to make mistakes, but how do I respond to being hit up is the big learning curve.
“That fear of making a mistake or offending is massive. But having people gently give validation or a wee whakatika is beautiful. It will help me a lot in going back to Ōtautahi, and trying to learn how to weave that in with the way we share gospel and see people thrive and flourish.”