Spoken in te reo Māori, an impromptu korero between a man and a little girl is going viral by warming the hearts of anyone watching it.
Posted to Instagram by Maimoa Creative, the video has been viewed nearly 130,000 times and commented on by hundreds. It shows the girl and man - Matua Hohepa from the International Antarctic Centre in Christchurch - joyfully chatting away in Te Reo.
“As soon as he heard Te Rauriki speaking te reo Māori he switched to address her in Māori, and it was such a beautiful and natural interaction to witness,” the caption reads.
“It was a little glimpse into a world that I have dreamt of as a parent. A world where te reo Māori is in more and more public spaces throughout Aotearoa, and not just confined to the kāinga, educational spaces, or marae.”
“It was such a wholesome experience to witness as a parent, and it left me feeling so grateful for the small moments of progress we have every day to normalise te reo Māori in our lives and in other people's lives.”
“Ngā mihi matua Hohepa for making our daughter's day (she also loved petting the very fluffy huskies). Kia kaha te reo Māori,” the caption finished.
Commenters on the post are sharing how much seeing and hearing the conversation means to them.
“This is one of those moments where the rest of us can sit for a moment and appreciate the gains,” one person wrote. “The fact that she didn't have to switch languages to share a moment with someone outside her circle -- she can be exactly who she is. It's the most beautiful thing ever.”
“Seeing this lights my fire about pushing on through this journey,” another said. “I don’t have my own tamariki but if I can contribute to a world where that’s possible for others, I’m in!”
“As a white Kiwi now living in Aussie, this just warmed my heart,” a third added. “Keeping your beautiful language and culture alive”
It’s awesome to see such a positive and hopeful response to a special moment.
