Iwi acknowledges Māori language exponent – Materoa Haenga

Wednesday, 25 March 2015, 2:10 pm
Press Release: Ngati Kahungunu Iwi Inc

Iwi acknowledges Māori language exponent – Materoa Haenga

Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated sadly acknowledges the passing of nationally recognized Māori language exponent, Materoa Haenga, who died on Wednesday 18 March.

Materoa has been the Māori language quality assurance/translator advisor for Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Inc. since the inception of the Māori language strategy in 2005. She has provided quality assurance, translation, editing, consultation and a wide range of Māori language services to Ngāti Kahungunu.

Materoa was a graduate of the first intake of Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo (Institute of Excellence in the Māori language). She was also a senior tutor at the national kura reo, started by Tīmoti Kāretu in 1989. Materoa was recognized as a national expert of kīwaha, Māori idioms and colloquial sayings. She also lead several research projects analysing the dialectal variations unique to Ngāti Kahungunu.

Materoa has been a senior lecturer at EIT for over 20 years and has taught hundreds of students now proficient in te reo Māori. She was also a recognized exponent of karanga and has taught this for over 20 years.

Materoa was also involved in community activities. She was very instrumental in the fundraising projects at Moteo Marae. A staunch supporter of Radio Kahungunu and in 2013 was recognized at the Ngāti Kahungunu Māori Language Awards with the Te Ahorangi o Te Kupu award.

Materoa was of Ngāti Porou descent and was laid to rest on Monday 23 March beside her mother at Taruheru Cemetery, Gisborne. Materoa and her infinite knowledge of the Māori language, in particular dialectal variations unique to Ngāti Kahungunu will be sorely missed.

Jeremy Tātere MacLeod, with assistance from Waihoroi Shortland have honoured Materoa's memory with this new whakatau-ā-kī: 'Te kete pūrena a Materoa, hai waha i te kī'. Materoa, the purveyor of knowledge, whose generosity knew no bounds.

Hoki atu rā, e kui, ki ō mātua tīpuna i tuawhakarere. Ka auē mātau i konei.

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