The Merivale Community Centre will celebrate Manaakitanga - or hospitality - as the theme of this year's Maori Language Week.
The centre is hosting events with this theme in mind. On Thursday there will be a kai Maori lunch, which will include quintessential marae styled food, such as rotten corn, seafood,
boil up, fry bread and steam pudding.
On Friday, they will have a te reo Maori only day with a basic te reo Maori class to get people started.
Merivale Community Centre services manager Graham Cameron said: "This is a challenge to our staff and volunteers, a chance to use whatever Maori language they have."
Throughout the week the centre will feature Maori music, labels to learn the Maori words for everyday objects, a colouring competition and on Friday there will be a range of games and activities.
Countdown supermarkets is also celebrating Wiki o te Reo Maori by using bilingual advertising and offering free Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori phrase books to all customers.
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori chief executive Glenis Philip-Barbara said that with 158 stores nationwide, this effort would expose two million shoppers to te reo Maori this week. Maori Language Week ends on Sunday.
Have a go
Kei hea koe e mahi ana?
Where do you work?
I pehea to ra?
How was your day?
Ka rawe te korero Maori.
Gee, speaking Maori is good fun.
He aha pea he mahi ma taua?
Shall we do something?
E mate kai ana koe?
Are you hungry?
Source: www.korero.maori.nz
