How Katikati is increasing te reo Māori in town

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tamawhariua have Maori language week activities at 111 Main Road Katikati. Photo / Supplied

Tena koutou! Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is being celebrated around Aotearoa New Zealand - and Katikati has plenty of opportunities to korero.

Valarie Uilou, operations manager - kaiwhakahaere in Katikati, says te reo Māori is an official language of New Zealand alongside New Zealand Sign Language and important to celebrate, especially during Maori Language Week.

"We have loads of activities here at our office for the whole week to promote the use of the Māori language."

On Monday (Mane), Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tamawhariua hosted a kaputi and korero for kuia and kaumatua at their office at 111 Main Road Katikati, but all week there are competitions and fun activities online at the office or on Facebook, at Tamawhariua Health and Social Services.

Tūrei (Tuesday) - Kaimahi quiz with a twist on Māori kupu, places and other pātai via our Tamawhariua Facebook page.

Wenerei (Wednesday) - Te Rereatukahia and Otawhiwhi te kohanga reo will be at the Rūnanga 10am- 12pm, with chalk-drawing, waiata-playing, a colouring competition and a sausage sizzle for the tamariki.

Taite (Thursday) - Join a weaving workshop at Rūnanga. Starts 10am.

Paraire (Friday) - Kapa haka - Te Kura Tātahi o Waihi and Katikati College from 11:30am onwards out in front of the Rūnanga. Come and support these tamariki and rangatahi.

Te reo Māori Classes for Beginners is an eight-week course starting 18 October to 6 December, through Katikati Community Centre. The classes are held from 5-7pm at 45 Beach Rd and cost $45 - enrol at www.katikaticommunity.nz. An extension course is also available.

More ways to embrace te reo Māori:
- Join the 'A Māori Phrase a Day' learning group on Facebook, by Hēmi Kelly.
- Create your pepeha - a way of introducing yourself in Māori using a set structure that identifies who you are, where you're from and where you belong.
For Māori, pepeha points to whakapapa (ancestry). Everyone has a pepeha that links them to their ancestors.
Ko Wai Ahau (Who am I) uses a very simple pepeha structure that identifies a mountain and body of water - river, lake, ocean - that is special to you or that you have lived by, a canoe or ship your ancestors may have arrived to Aotearoa on, the place you are from or reside at now, and your name.

Follow the link to do yours online: www.nzherald.co.nz/kahu/te-wiki-o-te-reo-maori-create-your-own-pepeha/PJPFQLE6WAGNSNGUFMBIMS764Y/