The flag of Kōhanga Reo at half mast. Photo: RNZ / Pokere Paewai
Members of Kōhanga Reo are looking to the future of the movement, to build on the legacy left by one of the movements founders Dame Iritana Tāwhiwhirangi.
Dame Iritana died on Saturday at home surrounded by her whānau - she was 95.
Kōhanga Reo National Trust co-chair Raniera Procter said over the last few days thousands of people have come to Te Poho o Rawiri marae in Gisborne to pay respects to a very special Kuia.
Among them on Wednesday were the Kiingitanga, iwi leaders and former Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand.
The beginning of Kōhanga Reo
In 1981, the then Department of Māori Affairs agreed to pilot Kōhanga Reo with the first opened in 1982 in Pukeatua, Wainuiomata, Wellington.
The first five Kōhanga Reo which were part of the pilot program were given $5000 between them.
Dame Iritana was charged to lead and promote Kōhanga Reo throughout the country and work to grow the kaupapa.
And the kaupapa grew fast, in 1994 the number of Kōhanga Reo reached a peak of 819.
There are currently over 400 Kōhanga Reo.
Raniera Procter said the trust sees a future where every Māori child, and any child who wants to have te reo as a first language, has the right to a Kōhanga Reo.
Manuhiri make their way onto Te Poho o Rawiri Marae. Photo: RNZ / Pokere Paewai
"At the moment we don't have that provision. So that's a real challenge for us as a movement is being able to manaaki (care for) the need that's growing.
"We've grown by 1200 mokopuna in the last year, so there's a huge demand for the kaupapa, people want the language, anything that wriggles wants to speak Māori and it's a beautiful thing."
The current political challenges Māori are facing has reminded them that kaupapa like the Kōhanga Reo that Dame Iritana founded are to rejuvenate Māori towards the brighter future of mana motuhake (self determination), Procter said.
"The focus for Kōhanga Reo has never changed - mana motuhake has always been our goal."
The Kiingitanga arrive
Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po and representatives from the Kiingitanga made their way to Te Poho o Rawiri to pay their respects on Wednesday.
Te Arikinui's grandmother Dame Te Atairangikaahu was patron of the Kōhanga Reo National Trust and worked closely with Dame Iritana. Often traveling from marae to marae around the country together.
Kiingitanga spokesperson Rahui Papa said Dame Iritana was a strong and influential force within the Kiingitanga.
In 2023 - before becoming monarch - Nga wai hono i te po became a trustee of Kōhanga Reo and was mentored by Dame Iritana for two years.
Manuhiri make their way onto Te Poho o Rawiri Marae. Photo: RNZ / Pokere Paewai
Dame Iritana has set the platform for the Kōhanga Reo's future, which will be part and parcel of the Kiingitanga's, Papa said.
"We're looking now at a generation from Kōhanga Reo that are taking their place as representatives on councils, in Parliament, on iwi boards, on marae trusts, all of those things now give our tamariki that are bilingual and biliterate, that Iritana's platform has set, has seen us in a great space and as we go forward it will just go from strength to strength."
Challenges like funding, staffing and demand are going to be part and parcel of the future as well, he said.
"All of those issues are still going to be issues that Kōhanga Reo have to face into the future but I think Iritana has set a really strong platform to be able to provide the data, the evidence and the arguments to make sure that those things are little molehills that don't become mountains."
The main thing was that whānau are able to take control within Kōhanga Reo, he said.
On Thursday morning Dame Iritana Tāwhiwhirangi will be uplifted from Gisborne and taken to the foot of Hikurangi maunga at Rāhui marae in Tikitiki.
She will be buried at her family urupā near the marae on Friday.
