Tōku Reo Tōku Ohooho

He mea kohikohi ēnei kōrero e Rick Mītai, he mokopuna, he uri nō roto mai o Te Whakatōhea. Hei tāna, i roto i ngā tau o te iwa tekau ko Te Whakatōhea anake i te kawe i te waiata nei, ā, taro kau iho te wā ka whai hā ora ki roto o iwi kē, ā, nā konā i whakahouhia ai e ngā mātāwaka ko ‘Nei Rā Te Kaupapa’ tōna ingoa karanga.

Nā Te Tāwhiro Maxwell rāua ko Te Okeroa Huriwaka o Te Whakatōhea te waiata nei i tito i te tau 1987, nā rāua hoki te rangi. I hau ai ō rāua rongo he tohunga nō rāua ki te tārai kupu me te tito rangi, e manini ai ki te taringa o te hunga whakarongo.

Ko te tino kaupapa o te waiata nei he whakaaraara, he whakaohooho i te iwi kia kaha ake te kōrerotia o te reo Māori.

Ko ngā kaumātua kōrero Māori o te iwi ērā i mārama pai ki ngā raruraru nui o te memeha haere o te reo. Ko te pare kawakawa te tohu, te kai whakatenatena, te kai whakakorikori i te iwi kia whakakotahi mai ki te whakatau rautaki mō te oranga tonutanga o te reo rangatira.

Ka tīkina atu e rāua te whakatauākī a Tā Tīmoti Kāretu, hei kupu whakahere i te matū o te kaupapa o te waiata nei, kia ita.‍

‘Tōku reo tōku ohooho, tōku reo tōku māpihi maurea, tōku reo tōku whakakai mārihi’.