Husband and wife duo Tāwhirimātea and Kaa Williams are the first Māori couple to receive a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the same New Year Honours list.
The long-time te reo Māori educators have been recognised for their services to Māori and education.
They've taught for 60 years, with two-thirds of it teaching at each other's side.
"Kua kore tēnei, kua whati noa atu ahau. Nō reira kua noho tēnei hei tuarā mōku. Ko ahau te tangata ki mua kei muri kē tēnei e tiaki mai i ahau. Nō reira, he mahi ngātahi mō wēnei tau ono tekau haere tonu atu, haere tonu atu," said Tāwhirimātea, a recipient of the Companion New Zealand Order of Merit.
"If it wasn't for her [Kaa], I would have been long gone. So she has been my backbone. I'm the person out in front, but she's the one behind, taking care of me. So it's been about working in unison for these 60 years and that's to continue, to be continued."
The couple's private learning institute is in high demand with those wanting to learn te reo Māori.
Aged 81, Tawhirimātea is at the helm as chief executive while Kaa, 84, is a senior lecturer.
Based in the Auckland suburb of Mount Albert, Te Wānanga Takiura o Ngā Kura Kaupapa Māori o Aotearoa is renowned for its one-year total immersion course.
"Nui ngā Pākehā kei te kuhu mai ki Te Wānanga o Takiura nei, āhua 15 paiheneti - 18 paiheneti. Nui ngā Hainamana kei te kuhu mai, he nui ngā Pasifika kei te haramai ki Te Wānanga o Takiura nei. Ko ēnei tauira katoa, māmā noa iho ki te whakamāori i ō rātou whakaaro. Ka rongo koe i ētahi Hainamana e kōrero Māori, uu tūpato Māori kei te huri ko ngā Hainama ki te whakaatu ki a koutou," Tāwhirimātea said.
"There are heaps of Europeans at the institute, there's about 15 percent - 18 percent of them. There are heaps of Asians at the institute, as well as Pasifika. For these students, it's easy for them to translate their thoughts into Māori. When you listen to an Asian speaking Māori, oh Māori you need to watch out, the Asians will soon be able to show you how it's done."
The te reo Māori stalwarts have supported the revitalisation of the language since the 1970s.
The pair started Aotearoa's first ever bilingual school in 1977 and then total immersion Māori medium school in Ruatoki, Bay of Plenty.
"Ahakoa kua haramai māua i Ruatoki ki kōnei, he āhuatanga anō kei kōnei. Ko tā māua mahi, tino mahi, ki te whakahoki mai i ā rātou whakaaro, kia rongo i te mana me te mauri o te reo Māori," said Kaa, who is also a recipient of the Companion New Zealand Order of Merit.
"Although we came from Ruatoki to reside here, it's another environment. Our real job is to ensure they [students] retain the prestige and philosophies of the Māori language."
Their services to Māori and education are being recognised with a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, adding to Tāwhirimātea's Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit he received in 2015 and Kaa's Companion of the Queen's Service Order she received in 2009.
They said it has come as a complete surprise.
"He hōnore nui he hōnore pai," said Kaa. "It's a huge honour, an honour well received."
Tāwhirimātea agreed.
"He tūmeke, but he pai nā te mea i puta mai i te hapori tangata," he said. "I'm astonished but it's good to know that we are being acknowledged by our community."
A community where the duo exemplifies this Māori proverb every day: Ko te reo kia tika ko te reo kia rere ko te reo kia Māori. The language needs to be correct, the language needs to be heard far and wide, the language needs to be Māori in ethos.
