Kimi Holtz

Last night was our very first practice at our new home here in Dublin ❤️🤍🖤

It’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, and I’ve never felt more empowered to keep breathing life into our reo. To be welcomed by Forás na Gaeilge, an institute that thrives to protect and support Te Reo & kaupapa Irish, was such a moment of harmony.

Te Waka Aumihi had outgrown our old space, and through the incredible mahi of one of our own, Claire, we were welcomed into this one. An honour our group doesn’t take for granted.

We were welcomed with a beautiful pōwhiri. Shane Ó hEidhin, Chairman of Forás na Gaeilge, was kaikōrero for the haukainga side. He spoke so warmly about his ties to New Zealand and his affinity with tangata whenua Māori and te reo Māori 🥹 A waiata tautoko followed, sung in Irish, and it was incredibly moving.

Our bro Daryl stood as kaikōrero for Te Waka Aumihi, carrying so much mana on our behalf that he lowkey had a few of us emotional! 🥹😭✊🏽

As we settle into this new whare, we’ve been encouraged to include te reo Irish in our learnings too. Committing to learn more of the reo of the whenua we live on feels like a beautiful next step in respecting this land and its people. Toitū te reo.

Serendipitous timing too 😅 9 years ago to the day, I walked into my first kapa practice with Ngāti Rānana in London. So proud of the whakapapa we’re building here in Dublin.

Kia kaha te reo Māori. Kia kaha te ao Māori. 🖤

Ngā mihi maioha agus le gach dea-ghuí, Forás na Gaeilge, for having us. 💚🤍🧡