Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) is a chance to support and celebrate Māori language and culture.

Between 12-18 September, the teams at Taupō District Council’s libraries and museum are collaborating with Rural Education Activities Programme (REAP) to provide interactive and engaging learning opportunities.

Whether you want to ako (learn), whakarongo (listen), waiata (sing), pānui (read), tuhi (write), or kōrero (speak) te reo Māori, this is your chance to have a go.

Taupō Library and Museum customer services officer Sandra Quinn says te reo Māori should be celebrated and promoted all the time, not just once a year, but it is also important to support Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori and showcase opportunities for further learning in the community.

On Monday 12 September, the Taupō Library is hosting Learn with HĀ, a two-hour beginners’ programme which will teach the basics in Māori language and culture, run by Taupō Museum programmes coordinator Hawira Karaitiana.

Hawira (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) has more than 20 year’s experience with Māori language education. Learn with HĀ is an opportunity to learn how to correctly pronounce Māori words, improve your knowledge of local place/street names and waiata (songs) in a fun and interactive lesson. Spaces are limited and you will need to register at www.taupo.govt.nz/librarieswhatson

On Wednesday 14 September REAP’s te reo tutor Moepuke Church (Ngāti Tūwharetoa) will host Toddler Time in te reo Māori followed by ngā kemu me ngā waiata (games and songs) at Taupō Library. On Thursday 15 September, she will host Toddler Time in te reo Māori at Tūrangi Library.

Moepuke has 22 year’s experience in education, including kohanga reo with young children, mainstream intermediate schools and working with Māori men in Tongariro Prison. For the last five years she has been teaching adults te reo at REAP.

As a new grandmother, she is excited about the challenge of running toddler time at the library and working with young children again.

“I decided to challenge myself by reading books with toddlers. I want to go in and rekindle those skills, it’s been a long time since I’ve taught babies, it’s exciting.”

She says te reo Māori, as New Zealand’s first language, is a taonga (treasure) which should be shared and used to unite the people of Aotearoa.

“Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori is very important. This is a highlight where REAP can give me these opportunities like reading books in te reo with babies.

“I’m a keen supporter of Tūwharetoa’s work, with any age, to promote te reo Māori. I’ve waited a long time for it to be recognised country-wide. It’s definitely about empowering the language, but really it’s about unity, unity within our country, and I think te reo Māori is one of the best tools for that.”

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori in the Taupō District

Monday 12 September, 10am-12pm: Learn with HĀ at Taupō Library - a two-hour beginners’ programme which will teach you the basics in Māori language and culture. Register online at www.taupo.govt.nz/librarieswhatson

Wednesday 14 September, 10.30-11.30am: Toddler Time in Te Reo Māori at Taupō Library - Bring your little ones along for a special storytelling session in te reo Māori with Moepuke Church.

Wednesday 14 September, 1-3pm: Ngā kemu me ngā waiata - Moepuke Church will bring her REAP students to the Taupō Library for games and waiata which the public can join in with.

Thursday 15 September, 10.30-11.30am: Toddler Time in Te Reo Māori at Tūrangi Library.

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