Ō Rangaranga with Billy Sauer

Kia ora ko Billy Sauer tōku ingoa. He uri tēnei nō Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Kahungunu, Te Rārawa anō hoki. He advisor ahau ki te tīma Whakahoki Kōrero me te Amuamu – Feedback and Complaints.

Hello, my name is Billy. I descend from Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Kahungunu, and Te Rārawa. I am an advisor for the Feedback and Complaints Team.

I tīmata au i taku haerenga i Te Reo Māori ki Te Whare Wānanga o Wikitoria. I te tau tuatahi kāore au i ako i te reo, i ako i te pūtaiao. Enagri i te tau tuarua i huri ōku whakaaro ki te ao Māori nā te mea, he maha ngā tāngata Māori ki reira. I kitea e au i ngā āhuatanga o tērā, koirā te tīmatanga o tōku haerenga reo Māori. Mai i tērā kua oti au i reira, ā, ki te Tohu Paetahi ki Te Reo Māori me te Mātai Hinengaro, atu i tērā kua whai mahi au ki Oranga Tamariki.

The Māori language journey began for me at Victoria University. In my first year I studied Science and not the Māori language. However, in the second year I changed my focus as there were an abundance of Māori there. I saw aspects of that world, that was my induction to my Māori language journey. Once I completed that I pursued a Dgree in Te Reo Māori and Psychology. From there I found a position with Oranga Tamariki.

He uaua rawa ki te whakapakari, ki te mau tonu te reo rangatira i akoa e au i aua mahi, koinei tētahi o ngā rauemi i puta mai ki au, ki te whakapupuri tonu, te āhuatanga o te reo me ōna tikanga, kua mau ki roto i a au.

It is extremely difficult to develop and maintain the language that I had previously learned there. This is an opportunity given to me, allowing me to retain the language and all it’s aspects, which I will hold within.

He maha ngā mea i ako ai, tētahi, ko te whakapapa o Te Takinga marae. I te wā i ako au i te reo Māori, he Māori rerekē tēnā, he reo nō Te Whare Wānanga anake.

There are so many things I learned, one, is the genealogy of the marae, Te Takinga. As a student learning the Māori language, it was different, because it was an academic language of Universities.

Ko tētahi mea nui ki ahau ko te whakawhānui i ōku reo.

A major focus for me is to broaden my language.

I ako au i ngā kōrero, i ngā wetewete reo me ngā rerenga, tino uaua tērā ki ahau i Te Whare Wānanga i te mea, ko te mea nui ki reira kia kōrero, kia rere te kōrero, kia ako ki te kōrero i te reo Māori. Nā reira, ko tēnei wānanga ka taea e au ki te āta whakaaro, āta tirotiro ki aua mea.

I learned narratives, grammar and sentence structures, which was not simple for me while at University because the focus there was the application of the language, for the language to flow, and learning to speak. Consequently, at this seminar I have the ability to deliberate, and examine some of those topics.

He uaua tērā pātai ki a au i te mea, ko te momo mahi e mahia e au, he uaua ki te whakamahi i tērā, i taua mahi, enagri, ka taea e au ki te whakahuri, takahuri ki te whakaaro o ōku tīma me tōna whakaaro ki te ao Māori, te aro i te reo Māori, ērā momo.

That’s a tricky question because the type of work I do isn’t suitable to practice that, in that position, however, I do have the ability to sway, and influence the way my team thinks about a Māori worldview, the language, those sort of things.

Koirā tetahi mea...tētahi mea ki a au ki te whakawhiti i aua mea.

That’s one thing, that’s one thing for me to work on.

Ko tētahi mea ki a au, te roanga o te wānanga.

One thing for me is the duration of the seminar.

He pai, pai katoa, pai te katoa o tēnei wānanga ki a au nei, ko te mea uaua kua mutu hei te toru rā. Ko te painga o te roanga, roa aketanga o tērā te nui ake o ngā...

It’s great, everything, for me everything was awesome. One thing I found difficult was finishing after three days. The benefit of a longer, longer duration of that increases...

Kia eke te taumata o tēnei kaupapa i te toru rā ki te rima rā.

For this event to reach another level is to increase the duration from three days to five days.

Me roa ake te noho tahi i te toru rā ki te rima rā.

We should extend the stay from three days to five days.