Ko Te Arawa Māngai nui e whakapāhō atu nei.
“Taku kuhutanga mai ki ēnei momo mahi nōku i te kura, ka rīria ahau e taku kaiako nā te mea he māngai nui a Mataia. Hai taua wā rā i kōhetengia nuitia ahau mō tēnei mea, mō te kōrero. Ka pakeke ana ahau ka kite au - e tama! He pukenga tēnei. Anei ahau e pāpāho nei, kua hia nei te roa e mahi ana i ēnei mahi nei,” te kōrero a Mataia Keepa; he kaiwhakataki hākinakina ki te reo Māori, he mātanga reo Māori anō hoki.
He manu hakahaka ki te papawhakatū waewae, he kākā tarahae ki te marae, ā, kua manu korokī ki te pouaka whakaata. Heoi anō e ai ki a Keepa kua hoki a ia ki te mirimiri i te tuarā o ngā ringaringa nāna a ia i whakapakeke, i morimori.
“He nui aku mātauranga ki tēnei ao nō reira ka tae ana ki ētāhi rēhi āhua roa e taea e au te kimikimi hamutī te kōrero mō ētahi āhuatanga o te waka ama ngā hurihanga, ngā hoe, ngā wāhanga o te waka, te hītori me ērā katoa.”
Hai tā Keepa kua huri te ao, ā, whai wāhi nui mai ana te reo Māori ki roto ki ngā mahi o ia rā.
“I te wā pea o ō tātau tūpuna ko te paraoa me te pata ko te raupātanga o ngā ringa. Nā i tēnei wā nei ko te raupātanga o ngā ngutu me te arero,” tāna kōrero.
Ko tā Keepa ko tētahi o ngā taumahatanga ko te pāpaku o te puna kupu mō ētahi hākinahakina, ā, i konei kua whai wahi nui a ia ki te whātorotoro i ōna uaua reo Māori, nā kua tahuri ki te waihanga kupu hou.
“Ko te ōkawatanga o ētahi kupu kai roto i te kīnga mai o Te Taurawhiri; he kupu hou tēnei. Engari ki ahau ko te ōkawatanga o te kupu ko te kōrerotia o tērā kupu,” te kī a Keepa.
Ko te akiaki a Keepa ki te hunga whakataki, kia tika, kia rere, kia Māori te reo.