Celebrating Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. Ake Ake Ake, A forever language.
Over the past week we have been celebrating Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, Māori language week.
We honored this kaupapa by hosting a variety of activities each day. Learning, sharing and practicing the pronunciation of local place names and some pūrākau that explained the origins of some of these names, extending our appreciation for these places and their surroundings.
Other activities also included karakia, waiata, quiz, mihi, kīwaha and kare-ā-roto all while creating a safe space for individuals to be brave and grow confidence so they can be comfortable to kōrero no matter their proficiency of te reo māori.
To add some fun, we incorporated games that tested and expanded our te reo Māori vocabulary. There were many laughs and moments of wonder and double checking of kupu spelling and meanings in Te Aka. All participants had a chance to win some take home resources to tautoko them on their te reo Māori journey.
The highlight of the week was a community waiata get-together at the town square, where we joined the rest of the motu/country in a unified celebration of te reo Māori. This event not only strengthened our sense of community but also reaffirmed our commitment to preserving and promoting the Māori language.
Celebrating Māori Language Week was an enriching experience that gave our community an opportunity to come together and learn in a meaningful way.
“Tōku reo, toku oho oho.
Tōku reo, toku māpihi maurea.”
“My language is my awakening, my language is the window to my soul”
GLOSSARY:
kaupapa event
pūrākau traditional stories
karakia prayer
waiata song
kīwaha idioms
kōrero talk, conversation
mihi greetings
kare-ā-roto feelings
tautoko support