One was a very interesting interview with the writer Witi Ihimaera, and the other was a shorter article, which I thought you might be interested in. It is as follows (sorry, it's in Irish, but I'll give a rough translation underneath):
Colm Ó Broin - Lá - 21/02/2007 wrote:Ceiliúradh Maorach
Déanfar comóradh 10 mbliana ar ranganna teanga agus cultúir na Maorach, a eagraíonn an grúpa, Ngati Ranana, do leanaí i Londain Shasana, níos déanaí i mbliana.
Tá na ranganna, Te Kohanga Reo o Ranana (Neadacha Teanga Londan) ar siúl gach maidin Shathairn i dTeach Nua-Shéalainne i Londain chun blaiseadh den chultúr Maorach a thabhairt do leanaí de chuid eisimirceach ó Aotearoa (‘Tír an Scamaill Bháin Fhada’ i Maorais).
Cuirtear fáilte roimh pháistí Maoracha agus Pakeha (daoine nach Maoraigh iad) agus díríonn na ranganna dhá uair a' chloig ar te reo (teanga), pepeha (seanfhocail), whakapapa (ginealas) agus waiata (amhránaíocht).
Tá thart ar 20 leanbh ag freastal ar na ranganna faoi láthair agus tá beagnach 200 tar éis freastal ar an gclár ó bunaíodh é in 1997.
Tá pobal mór ón Nua-Shéalainn lonnaithe i Londain ach is beag duine acu a fhanann i Sasana go fadtéarmach, agus de réir na n-eagraithe, cuidíonn na ranganna leis na páistí socrú isteach sa saol sa Nua-Shéalainn nuair a fhilleann siad ar an tír.
Is oibrithe deonacha ar fad iad na daoine a eagraíonn na ranganna.
Bunaíodh an London Maori Club i Londain siar sna 1950í chun áis siamsaíochta agus chultúrtha a chur ar fáil do phobal na Nua-Shéalainne i Sasana.
Athainmníodh é mar Ngati Ranana (Treibh Londan) in 1971.
Is é mana an chláir chultúir ná ‘Ahakoa he iti he pounamu’ (Cuma cé chomh beag is atá sé, is seoid atá ann).
(sorry if some of the Maori translations are off - I'm just translating what the writer wrote in Irish!)
Maori Celebration
A celebration of 10 years of Maori language and culture classes, that the group Ngati Ranana organises for children in London, England, will take place later this year.
The classes, Te Kohanga Reo o Ranana (London Language Nests), take place every Saturday morning in New Zealand house in London to give a taste of the Maori culture to children of emigrants from Aotearoa ('Land of the long white cloud' in Maori).
Both Maori and Pakeha children are welcomed and the classes direct two hours to te reo (language), pepeha (proverbs), whakapapa (ancestry), and waiata (singing).
There are about 20 children attending the classes at the moment and nearly 200 who have attended since the programme was founded in 1997.
There is a large community from New Zealand settled in London, but few of them actually stay in England longterm, and according to the organizers, the classes help the children settle into life in New Zealand when they return to the country. The people who organise the classes are all voluntary workers.
The London Maori Club was founded in London back in the 1950's to give the community of New Zealand in England a fun and cultural service. It was renamed as Ngati Ranana (London Tribe) in 1971. The motto of the culture programme is 'Ahakoa he iti he pounamu' (It doesn't matter how small it is, it is a jewel).