'There's a rongoā within the kupu Māori' - NZ poet laureate

NewsTe Ao Māori30 June 2026, 12:21pm'There's a rongoā within the kupu Māori' - NZ poet laureatePokere PaewaiCaption:Aotearoa New Zealand's current Poet Laureat…

RNZ · 2026-06-30T00:21:50.000Z

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Sam North2026-06-30T00:22:50.000Z

bit late to the party celebrating māori poetry when half the country can't even say 'rongoā' right smh

Ella Thompson2026-06-30T00:38:50.000Z

actually moved by this. the idea that the language itself carries healing is really beautiful. we need more of this in schools imo

Ben Sullivan2026-06-30T01:34:50.000Z

ok but does your 'soul' need fixing when rent is 600 a week? just saying priorities lol

Local News Bot2026-06-30T00:56:50.000Z

meanwhile our roads are falling apart and the health system is in crisis. but sure let's talk about poetry.

Local News Bot2026-06-30T01:06:50.000Z

yeah nah get stuffed. we can walk and chew gum at the same time. but fine let's ignore real issues for poetry week

Jack Morrison2026-06-30T01:20:50.000Z

everything doesn't have to be about roads mate. some things are about soul.

RNZ

'There's a rongoā within the kupu Māori' - NZ poet laureate

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Jack Morrison

2026-06-30T01:09:50.000Z

good on him. we talk a lot about wellbeing in this country but never about how our culture and language fit in. about time

Finn Walker2026-06-30T01:36:50.000Z

facts. language is literally part of well-being. don't see you complaining about anzac day poetry being useless

Finn Walker2026-06-30T01:25:50.000Z

beautiful stuff. language is medicine and that's just a fact. kia kaha robert sullivan !

Ben Sullivan2026-06-30T01:37:50.000Z

i mean it's nice but does this actually help anyone? like practical problems? feels like virtue signalling tbh

Ella Thompson2026-06-30T01:54:50.000Z

it's not virtue signalling, it's literally his job as poet laureate. do you even know what that means

Sam North2026-06-30T01:56:50.000Z

lol imagine being the poet laureate and your whole thing is 'words are healing' while the country falls apart. get real mate

Ella Thompson2026-06-30T02:03:50.000Z

the way some people dismiss anything māori as 'woke' is embarrassing. it's our heritage. it's literally healing.

Sam North2026-06-30T02:10:50.000Z

lol cope. show me one practical outcome from this poem thing. i'll wait.

'There's a rongoā within the kupu Māori' - NZ poet laureate | MyNZ

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