Te Wiki o te Reo Maori

Teriaki Tamasese from Te Whare Taiao o Rangitāne preparing for his weekly te reo classes.

Te Reo Māori is a birth right and as a taonga is guaranteed under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is one of a range of initiatives aimed at supporting the retention and growth of te reo Māori. Mahuru Māori is another.

Mahuru Māori is a month-long reo Māori challenge established by Paraone Gloyne of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. The challenge begins on Friday, September 15 to coincide with the beginning of the lunar month, Mahuru. In the Māori lunar calendar, Mahuru is referred to as a period of ‘regrowth, rebirth, and renewal’, so tap into the celestial energies available to us at this time to set and achieve your reo Māori goals.

The principle underpinning Mahuru Māori is Te Reo Māori: Me Kite, Me Rongo, Me Kōrero, Te Reo Māori Should be Seen, Heard and Spoken. Mahuru Māori is an opportunity to increase your knowledge and understanding of te reo Māori, one of three official languages of New Zealand.

So, form a group with other like-minded people (whānau, friends or colleagues) to grow your knowledge and importantly, your use of te reo Māori in your daily lives. As a group, think about your goals: ‘what is our current level of te reo Māori’, ‘what do we want to achieve in relation to our current levels of te reo Māori’, ‘what constitutes success for our group’, ‘what will our plan of action be’ and last but not least, ‘what resources are available to us to achieve our goals’.

You might want to include in your group, someone who already has a reasonable command of te reo Māori. And remember, the goal revolves around speaking te reo Māori in your everyday life.

Here are some websites and resources to inspire and support you on your te reo journey:

To sign up for the Mahuru Māori challenge 2023 and access their resources: https://www.mahurumaori.com/

Join the Mahuru Māori Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/mahurumaori/

Te Wā Tuku Reo Māori/Māori Language Movement:

https://www.reomaori.co.nz/

For access to a range of online reo Māori lessons, check out Tōku Reo: https://www.tokureo.maori.nz/index.cfm/1,188,0,43,html/Series1.html

Podcasts: Check out ‘Everyday Māori’ and ‘Taringa’.

Te Taura Whiri website: https://en.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/te-wiki-2023-announcement

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori September 11-17, Hepetema Wātaka:

Te Whare Taiao o Rangitāne will be running daily quizzes through their Facebook page. Follow ‘Te Whare Taiao o Rangitāne’ on Facebook.

Rāhina | Monday, September 11, Karakia mō Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tamaki Nui A Rua

Rātū | Tuesday, September 12, Te Iti Kōpara

Rāapa | Wednesday, September 13, at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tamaki Nui A Rua

Rāpare | Thursday, September 14, Tamaki nui-ā-Rua Kapa Haka Festival

at Dannevirke Town Hall

Rāmere | Friday, September 15, Karakia Whakakapi

at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Tamaki Nui A Rua

Toi te kupu, toi te whenua, toi te ora, toitū te tangata.

With language, with a place to stand and with wellbeing, Māori (people) culture and pride with endure.