Te Wiki o te Reo Māori celebrated at Council
A drive to incorporate te reo Māori into everyday life at Waipā District Council is one of several ways Council is celebrating Te Wiki o te Reo Māori this year.
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, or Māori Language Week, is an annual event from 14 - 20 September to encourage and promote the use of te reo across New Zealand.
Waipā mayor Jim Mylchreest said Māori Language Week was an important date on the calendar – both across Aotearoa and in Waipā.
“I encourage all Waipā residents to take part in Te Wiki o te Reo Māori this year by learning and using Māori greetings such as ‘Kia ora’ or ‘mōrena’, taking te reo sessions online or gathering as a group for waiata or karakia.”
Mylchreest said resources and training would be provided during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori for all Council staff to learn or improve their language skills.
“We have a role and a responsibility in local government to partner with Iwi. To respect that partnership, we need to ensure we are revitalising and promoting the Māori language within Council.
“It is also about pronouncing place names and other Māori words correctly, so during Māori Language Week, staff will have the opportunity to participate in pronunciation workshops.”
Members of the public will have the opportunity to celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo at the Te Awamutu Museum.
Two 90-minute sessions will be held at 10.30am and 12.30pm on Saturday 19 September where residents will have the opportunity to learn a fun skill-based game called Tī Rākau (stick game) and the accompanying waiata.
Entry is $5 and attendees must register by contacting museum@waipadc.govt.nz or 07 872 0085.
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori has been celebrated each year from 1975. Ideas on ways to celebrate the week can be found at www.tewikiotereomaori.co.nz.