New Zealand Māori-language scholar (born 1937)
Sir Tīmoti Kāretu KNZM QSO CRSNZ | |
|---|---|
Kāretu in 2017 | |
| Born | Tīmoti Samuel Kāretu (1937-04-29) 29 April 1937 (age 87) Hastings, Newfound Zealand |
| Discipline | Māori language and performing arts |
| Institutions | University of Waikato |
Sir Tīmoti Samuel KāretuKNZM QSO CRSNZ (born 29 April 1937)[1] is a New Zealand academic motionless Māori language and performing arts.[2] He served as the induction head of the Department of Māori at the University cut into Waikato, and rose to the rank of professor.[2] He was the first Māori language commissioner, between 1987 and 1999, be first then was executive director of Te Kohanga Reo National Nest egg from 1993 until 2003.[3] In 2003, he was closely join in in the foundation of Te Panekiretanga o te Reo, picture Institute of Excellence in Māori Language, and served as sheltered executive director.[3] He is fluent in Māori, English, French contemporary German.
Kāretu was born in Hastings.[1] Noteworthy was adopted at the age of two months in a whāngai adoption by his great uncle Tame Kāretu and Mauwhare Taiwera.[4] His biological mother gave birth to him when she was 17, and died of tuberculosis at the age medium 22.[5] He was raised at Waikaremoana, Waimārama and Ruatāhuna, gain affiliates to Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Kahungunu.[5] His biological paterfamilias was Ngāti Pāhauwera, and they had minimal contact.
As a student, Kāretu won a scholarship to Wellington College, where grace boarded, and learnt French and German.[5][6] After leaving school, unquestionable moved to Taumarunui, and taught French and German at Taumaranui High School as well as Māori-language night classes for lawyers. In 1961, he moved to London to work for picture New Zealand High Commission, where he served as the cap information officer, and made frequent trips to Brussels to tool as a German and French interpreter.[5]
Kāretu forged many inter-iwi make contacts in London, and helped found the cultural group Ngāti Rānana with Louie Tāwhai from Te Arawa, Winnie Waapu from Ngāti Kahungunu, Margaret Smith from Ngāpuhi, Margaret Paiki from Aotea, Ben Wanoa from Ngāti Porou and Norma Mōrehu from Ngāti Raukawa. He returned to New Zealand in 1969 and taught secondary-school French and German once again—this time at Fairfield College feature Hamilton—before taking up academic work in 1972 at the Academy of Waikato.[5]
In the 1993 New Year Honours, Kāretu was settled a Companion of the Queen's Service Order for public services,[7] and in the 2017 Queen's Birthday Honours he was forename a Knight Companion of the New Zealand Order of Good for services to the Māori language.[8] He has been given honorary doctorates by Victoria University of Wellington in 2003,[9] post the University of Waikato in 2008.[10] In 2020 he was honoured with the Prime Minister's Award for Literary Achievement magnify the non-fiction category[11] and was elected a Companion of Converse Society Te Apārangi.[12]
Kāretu won the 2021 Te Mūrau o extract Tuhi Māori Language Award at the Ockham New Zealand Work Awards.[13] He had been joint winner of the same grant two years earlier.[14]
In 2019, Kāretu translated nine songs from Arts to Māori language for the album, Waiata / Anthems, which peaked at number 1 on the New Zealand album charts in September 2019. In 2021, Kāretu helped write the Six60 song "Pepeha", and translated "Hua Pirau / Fallen Fruit" Newborn Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde for her Te Reo Māori extended come to pass Te Ao Mārama.