Aroha: He matauranga Maori e uruhau ai te ao, e aumarire ai hoki te oranga tahitanga me to tatou taiao

Kua whakamāoritia te pukapuka ‘Aroha’ e Kohekohe Pihema, nā Tākuta Hinemoa Elder i raro i te maru o Kotahi Rau Pukapuka. Ko ‘Aroha’ tētahi pukapuka o ngā pukapuka e rima nā Elder, ā, ko tēnei te tuatahi o ana tuhinga kua whakamāoritia. Kua whakarōpūngia ngā whakataukī ki ēnei kaupapa: Te Manaakitanga, Te Kaitiakitanga, Te Whanaungatanga me Te Tino Rangatiratanga. E 52 ngā whakataukī. Waihoki he whakamārama poto me tētahi kōrero whaiwhakaaro e pā ana ki te whakataukī nō muri. Kāore i te roa rawa ngā upoko, heoi, he wero pai mō te hunga e ako tonu ana i te reo. Kua tukuna hoki e Kotahi Rau Pukapuka tēnei pukapuka hei puka-oro, ko tā Tākuta Hinemoa Elder te reo kawe. He rauemi tino pai ēnei hei tautoko i te hunga e ako tonu ana i te reo, ā, he ngāwari noa te utu.

He rerehua te āhua o ‘Aroha’. He uhi mārō, he pikitia pounamu, he kōwhaiwhai kapa kei runga i te uhi hei whakarākei, hei whakarangatira i te taonga nei. He ara ēnei whakataukī me ēnei tuhinga hei whakahōhonu ake i te māramatanga o te reo Māori, o ngā whakaaro Māori anō hoki. Ki tā Tā Hēmi Henare “Ko te reo Māori te kākahu o te whakaaro, te huarahi i te ao tūroa”


Dr Hinemoa Elder’s book ‘Aroha’ has been translated into te reo Māori by Kohekohe Pihema and published under the mantle of Kotahi Rau Pukapuka. ‘Aroha’ is one of five books Elder has written about whakatauki and the first one to be translated into te reo Māori. The whakatauki are grouped together by common themes: Te Manaakitanga, Te Kaitiakitanga, Te Whanaungatanga and Te Tino Rangatiratanga. Each of the 52 whakatauki are followed by a short translation and a longer contemplation of the whakatauki. The chapters are only a couple of pages long and will be a good challenge for second language learners. Kotahi Rau Pukapuka have also released ‘Aroha’ as an audiobook read by Dr Hinemoa Elder. These are great learning resources and available at very affordable prices.

‘Aroha’ is beautifully presented. The hardcover, pounamu image and copper kōwhaiwhai foil make this book a taonga that will be treasured. Elder’s book offers a gateway to Māori thought and language by way of whakatauki. As Tā Hēmi Henare said “Ko te reo Māori te kākahu o te whakaaro, te huarahi i te ao tūroa”.