Autaia Tonu, e Hoa mā!

Not bad at all, folks! Thanks for sharing your thoughts. You know, there's this saying that goes, 'E koekoe te Tūī e ketekete te kākā e kūkū te kererū.' It's like saying, even though the tūī, kākā, and kereru are all birds, they've got their own unique sounds and they matter in their own cool ways. Everyone's got a voice that deserves some respect. So, big thanks for laying out your points today and giving our voices a chance to shine.

But hey, let's throw a question into the mix: Where's the moa's voice in all of this? And what about pouākai? You won't hear 'em, 'cause they're long gone – wiped out, all because the Māori rolled in on their canoes. It's a pretty sad tale, really. They've vanished from the scene, all because of the changes the Māori people brought.

Alright, let's talk about a wild turn of events – when the Maori showed up in New Zealand. Back then, they were all about survival, and those giant moa birds were like a jackpot – hunted for their meat, feathers, and all that good stuff. But you know what they say, with great power comes great... ecological disruption?

Yeah, the Maori weren't really thinking about ecosystems and all that. They brought along new pals like the Polynesian rat, which probably wreaked havoc on moa eggs and chicks. And guess what? The haast eagle, the top bird of prey, was like "Hey, where's my moa buffet?" But as moa numbers dropped, it was like the eagle's kitchen closed down.

Now, imagine if we had time-traveled to save these adored birds. You'd have moa chilling in our backyards, and haast eagles soaring in the skies. It'd be like going on a safari right in your neighborhood. Seeing these creatures up close could've been like a crash course in zoology and how ecosystems work.

But here's the kicker. There's this saying that goes, 'Ka ngaro ā-moa te iwi nei' – basically, it means "Gone like the moa." Back then, it was used for stuff going downhill fast. And hey, it's kind of like what we're talking about – things getting messed up in a big way for the ecosystem of New Zealand and the moa is the spokesman reminding us of what was lost.

And then, the Europeans roll in. Suddenly, it's like a double whammy. The Māori and the new folks are dealing with diseases and tough times, just like the ecosystem's rollercoaster ride. It's crazy how history can pull the same tricks on different folks.

So, here's the thing. Let's consider the moa and the eagle as we dive into our debate. Yeah, the Māori came, they conquered, and they shook things up. But did they mess up the ecosystem? You decide! After all, we've had our fair share of ecosystem drama too, the ecosystem of our communities and culture, especially when newcomers step into the scene. Time to weigh in and see what this all means for our world today.

Māori version

Autaia tonu, e hoa mā! Ngā mihi mō te tohatoha i ō whakaaro. Ira tērā whakataukī e mea ai, 'E koekoe te Tūī, e ketekete te kākā, e kūkū te kererū.' Arā, ahakoa he manu katoa te tūī, te kākā, te kererū, kei a rātou ō rātou ake oro ahurei, ā, he mea whakahirahira hoki i roto i ō rātou ake āhua rawe. He reo tō te tāngata katoa e tika ai kia whakaute. Nō reira, ka nui te mihi mō te whakatakoto iho i ō koi tautohetohe hei wero mā matou i tēnei rā, kia whai wāhi o tātou reo ki te tiaho atu. Taputapu kē nei koutou!

Ā tēnā, me maka he patai ki roto i te ranunga: Kei hea te reo o te moa i ēnei mea katoa? Nā te aha te pouākai i wahangū ai? Kāore koutou e rongo, kua aua atu aua – kua murua, nā te mea i tae mai te iwi Maori mā runga ō rātou waka. He Kōrero āhua pouri, tino. Kua ngaro atu i te kāpeka, nā ngā huringa i kawea mai e te iwi Māori.

E hika mā, me kōrerorero tātou mō te huri mohoao o ngā takunetanga – Nō te taenga mai o te Māori ki Aotearoa. I taua wā, ka aro rātou katoa ki ā rātou ake oranga tonutanga, ā, ko aua moa nunui he rite ki te pūtaonga – ka whāia mō ā rātou kikokiko, mō ā ratou huruhuru, me ērā mea pai katoa. Engari e mōhio ana koutou ki tā rātau kōrero, ki te taha o te mana nui ka puta mai ... he āwangawanga pūnaha hauropi? Arā, tutū ana te heihei i roto i te pūnaha hauropi, I taua wā.

Āe, kāore te Māori i tino whakaaro mō ngā pūnaha hauropi me ērā atu mea. I mauria mai e rātou ētahi hoa hou pēnei i te kiore o Poronihiana, tērā pea tutū ana te puehu ki runga ngā hēki moa me ā rātou pī. Ā, whakaaro ana he aha? Ko te ēkara haast, te manu o runga rawa, he pēnei ia "E, kei hea ā mātou ō rangaranga?" Engari i te mimiti iho o te maha o te moa, he rite ki te katinga o te kīhini a te ēkara.

Ānāianei, pohewatia mēnā ka haere tātou mā roto i te wā ki te whakarerekē i te matenga o ēnei manu. Ka aumoe te moa i ō tātou iāri, me ngā ēkara e rere ana i te rangi. Rite tonu ki te haere i runga i tētahi pahī kīrehe i tō koutou rohe. Ko te kite tata atu i aua momo māori ka rite ki te akoranga tere i roto i te hītori me te mahi a te pūnaha hauropi.

Engari ānei te kaiwhana. Kei kōrā tēnei whakataukī, 'Ka ngaro ā-moa te iwi nei' – I whakamahia tēnei ki ngā mea e heke tere ana i te puke. Ā, he rite te āhua o te mahi ki te wā i tae mai ai te Pākehā – kua raruraru haere ngā mea i tētahi huarahi nui mā te pūnaha hauropi o Aotearoa, ā, ko te moa te kaikōrero e whakamaumahara ana ki ngā mea i ngaro ai.

Āe, nō te taenga mai o te Pākehā. Inamata, he rite te rongo ki tētahi meke taurua. Ko te iwi Māori me te hunga hou e pā ana ki ngā mate me ngā wā uaua, rite tonu ki taua ekenga o te waka rōnaki i te pūnaha hauropi. He porangi ka taea e te hītori te purei i ngā mahi tinihanga ki ngā tāngata, ki ngā momo māori hoki.

Nā, ānei te mea. Kia whai whakaaro tātou ki te moa me te ēkara, i a tātou e ruku ana ki roto i ā tātou tautohetohe. Āe rā, i tae mai te Māori, ka raupatungia, ka rūrūngia ngā mea. Engari nā rātou i whakararu te pūnaha hauropi? Whakatau mai e koutou! Ina hoki, kua whai wāhi tātau ki te whakaari pūnaha hauropi, ina koa ka uru mai ngā tauhou ki te wāhi. Ānei te wā ki te whakaaro ki te kite hoki he aha te tikanga o tēnei mō tō tātou ao i ēnei rā.

Grammar Lesson

Certainly, I can explain the concept of using the "causative prefix" 'whaka' in Maori language, which is used to transform intransitive verbs into transitive ones. In Te Reo Maori, most verbs can be used in a transitive form, where an action is transferred from one person or thing to another. However, there is a smaller group of verbs known as "intransitive" verbs. These verbs do not readily transfer the action to another entity. Examples of intransitive verbs in Maori include 'haere' (to go), 'moe' (to sleep), 'noho' (to sit), and 'kata' (to laugh). In English, some verbs can be used both intransitively and transitively without any change in form, as shown in your example: - I woke (intransitive). - I woke my brother (transitive). In Maori, when you want to use an intransitive verb in a transitive sense, you need to add the "causative prefix" 'whaka' to the verb. This prefix essentially means "to cause" and transforms the verb into a transitive one. After adding 'whaka,' you can use the transitive preposition (as seen in example 4.1) to specify the object of the action. For example: - "I oho ahau" means "I woke" (intransitive). - "I whakaoho ahau i tōku tuakana" means "I woke my brother" (transitive), where 'whakaoho' is formed by adding 'whaka' to 'oho' (to wake). Similarly, in the case of 'moe' (to sleep): - "E moe ana te wahine" means "The woman is sleeping" (intransitive). - "E whakamoe ana te wahine i te pēpi" means "The woman is putting the baby to sleep" (transitive), where 'whakamoe' is formed by adding 'whaka' to 'moe.' This pattern extends to other verbs as well, allowing you to make intransitive verbs transitive by using 'whaka' and specifying the object or recipient of the action. Note that many verbs beginning with 'whaka' can be understood with the concept of "to cause," as you've mentioned. For example: - 'whakamōhio' can be understood as "to cause to know" or "to inform." - 'whakatika' can be understood as "to cause to be straight" or "to tidy." Using the causative prefix 'whaka' is a fundamental aspect of Maori grammar and allows for greater flexibility in expressing actions and their effects in the language.