7 simple ways to celebrate Māori Language Week
Eleanor Meecham | July 7, 2016
Kia ora koutou. This week is Te Wiki o te Reo Māori — Māori Language Week. It’s a time for celebrating the Māori words and phrases we know, and for learning some we don’t know yet.
This year’s theme is Ākina te Reo. It’s about using te reo Māori to support, inspire, and cheer people on. Use this booklet to learn some inspirational phrases to support your favourite teams and players.
Use te reo Māori wherever you are
As well as on the sportsfield, try using te reo at work and at home. Choose a few words you’re comfortable with, or learn a few new ones. Then practise using them with your whānau (family) or hoamahi (workmates). Answer the phone with ‘Kia ora’, or end an email with ‘Hei konā mai’.
Here are 7 simple ways to celebrate te reo, this week and every week:
- Surprise yourself with how many Māori words you know
- Get a Māori word in your inbox every day or every week
- Learn how to start an email in te reo
- Learn how to end an email in te reo
- Watch some Māori television
- Learn the New Zealand National Anthem in te reo
- Learn the basics of pronouncing Māori words
Māori is for everyone
Some Kiwis feel that speaking te reo isn’t really for them. But Māori words are all around us — in our place names and street names, on the news and on the radio, and at the start of most rugby games. Te reo is part of who we all are, and it’s up to all of us to help keep it alive.
Not convinced? Watch this young Kiwi explain it better than I can.