Hawkes Bay Today
  • Hawke's Bay Today home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Havelock North
  • Central Hawke's Bay
  • Tararua

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Gisborne

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Hawkes Bay Today

Napier City councillor Claire Hague devoted to te reo Maori language journey

By Roger Moroney
Reporter·Hawkes Bay Today·
11 Sep, 2018 06:03 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Councillor Claire Hague is devoted to the te reo Maori language learning journey.

Councillor Claire Hague is devoted to the te reo Maori language learning journey.

For Napier City councillor Claire Hague learning te reo Maori is a long journey — a journey greatly sparked by a speech she heard by a 17-year-old when she was principal of Napier Girls' High School.

The young lady spoke of how she hoped that one day she would be able to walk into a dairy and ask for something in either English or te reo Maori and be understood.

"It was so inspiring — it really made me think," Hague said.

Since 2015 she has been taking weekly one-on-one lessons with Maori language teacher Jenny Cracknell and accordingly embraces the whole concept and vision of Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori/Maori Language Week.

She added that the link with learning the language went back a whole lot earlier.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"When I was a baby my parents taught at a tiny school in Mokai, inland from Taupo and most of the community were Māori and I was loved and cared for there — not to mention educated as I went school with my parents and all the kids," she said.

"So that may be partly why I now love learning the language."

And while in her role at the EIT as deputy chief executive for seven years she did a lot of work up the East Coast and came into constant contact with the language.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"That really cemented it for me."

She said she had always loved the challenge of learning new languages and said te reo Maori had a special place because New Zealand had the unique opportunity to be bilingual.

"It is great to see a huge number of young people learning," Hague said, adding that when she was principal at Napier Girls' she ensured there was a strong Maori language programme in place, and she helped introduce haka sessions in the hall which involved the whole school.

"It is just fabulous to see the youngsters taking it up, and they learn quickly."

Discover more

School creativity blooms for Blossom Parade

11 Sep 06:40 PM
Opinion

Hawkesby: DHB's attempt to ban booze at school fundraisers is bizarre

10 Sep 06:57 PM
New Zealand

Napier school dumps plan to sell alcohol at fundraising event

10 Sep 09:25 PM
Business

Frost threatens NZ wine prospects

11 Sep 06:50 PM

Hague said for older people it was more challenging, but as she was discovering week by week it could be done.

As an experienced educationalist she said her progress showed the power of one-on-one lessons.

"I love it — it's exciting and it's great to bridge the communication gap.

"I can turn on Maori TV and I don't have to look at the captions all the time — and if I'm feeling brave I will get into conversations in te reo."

She said in terms of local government circles she was impressed and inspired by people like Gisborne Mayor Meng Foon.

"He speaks it fluently."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

She said in her case she reckoned she had "years to go" to get to that point.

"It is a long journey learning te reo but it is so worthwhile."

● Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori can be celebrated with the little ones at a special storytime for under-5s at Napier Library at 10.30am on Friday. Special guests will share their love of te reo Maori through storytelling, song and crafts.

● Introduction to Maori Language Sessions (registration only event) at MTG Hawke's Bay. At 11am on Thursday and Saturday. Maori curator Te Hira Henderson will provide a free 30-minute introduction to Maori language in the surroundings of the taonga in the Tenei Tonu Gallery. Spaces limited — register at events@mtghawkesbay.com

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Hawkes Bay Today

Taradale and Pirate set sail for Hawke's Bay club rugby final

05 Jul 11:55 PM
Premium
Hawkes Bay Today

Couple behind lauded cocktail bar call it a day: 'I don’t think people are prioritising social lives'

05 Jul 06:00 PM
Hawkes Bay Today

Flaxmere Woolworths site work begins, supermarket built by mid-2026

05 Jul 06:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Hawkes Bay Today

Taradale and Pirate set sail for Hawke's Bay club rugby final

Taradale and Pirate set sail for Hawke's Bay club rugby final

05 Jul 11:55 PM

Dominant first halves were the difference, with Maddison Trophy final spots on the line.

Premium
Couple behind lauded cocktail bar call it a day: 'I don’t think people are prioritising social lives'

Couple behind lauded cocktail bar call it a day: 'I don’t think people are prioritising social lives'

05 Jul 06:00 PM
Flaxmere Woolworths site work begins, supermarket built by mid-2026

Flaxmere Woolworths site work begins, supermarket built by mid-2026

05 Jul 06:00 PM
Premium
End of swimming pool weeds: Family's delight as cyclone-hit home gets green light

End of swimming pool weeds: Family's delight as cyclone-hit home gets green light

04 Jul 06:00 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Hawke's Bay Today e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Hawke's Bay Today
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP