Marama Te Kira
I recently popped along to the regular Wednesday afternoon working bee at the Pukehinau māra kai. The sun was out, and people were busy chatting and gardening in the background. I sat down for a kaputī with Te Toi Mahana tenant, musician and te reo Māori advocate Marama Te Kira.
Kia ora Marama, thanks for your time today e hoa. Let’s begin from the start. Where were you born and what is your whakapapa?
I was born and grew up in Ōtaki, on the Kāpiti coast. My main iwi is Ngāti Porou, on my dad’s side, and I’ve got a connection to the Tainui waka as well - that’s Ngāti Raukawa ki te Tonga. And then my mum’s Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Wairoa, Ngāti Pāhauwera ki Mohaka, and I’ve also got ancestors from England, Ireland and Scotland.
How did you find your way down to Wellington?
I wanted to get work and there was more work available in Wellington. I really enjoyed it, and I had a camper van and just decided to finally get a place here. I put my name down on the Council waiting list and put my kids in Newtown School. That was about 10 years ago.
Te reo Māori is an obvious passion of yours – did you grow up in bilingual household?
No, but I grew up in a bilingual town and I went to a bilingual primary school. Ōtaki is officially bilingual - so I think it’s something like 53% of the community speak in Māori on a regular basis there. My kids went to Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rito ki Ōtaki, and then to a Māori-immersion unit here in Wellington.
And you teach te reo Māori too?
Yeah, I’ve taught reo at various schools, Rimutaka Prison, Victoria University, the US Embassy and here at Te Toi Mahana too.
Tell me about that?
Every Tuesday 2-4pm at the Central Park Community Room I teach a te reo Māori class. It is koha entry if you are able, and it is also funded by the Wellington City Council. Everyone is welcome.
There is a huge mix of people who attend. I have about 20 students from like 10 different nationalities. They’re all different ages, different nationalities, and at different levels.
I heard you sing a beautiful waiata in Mandarin at last year’s Matariki at Central Park. When did you learn to sing and speak Mandarin?
Well, I was in the music industry for about 20 years before I had kids and travelled a lot. I started off in New Zealand, and then to Australia, and then went to China for a couple of years, and toured Korea, Japan and Papua New Guinea.
What were you doing over – singing?
Yeah, I went with the band from Australia. And I really liked it. I went back to China and got a contract teaching English, and I got work singing. Now I just I sing every now and then, if someone asks me to. Like I sung at Charlie’s birthday a couple of weeks ago.
I play guitar as well, congas, percussion and play piano and classical music. My mother was music teacher, and my father was a muso, so I was I brought up with it. And I did kapa haka for quite a while so it’s just part of my culture.
Ngā mihi Marama!
Top left: Marama with local Pukehinau tamariki. Top right: Outdoor admin.
Bottom left: Marama at a community hui at Berkeley Dallard. Bottom right: A selfie at one of her reo classes at Central Park.