He Huia Kaimanawa - Māori Language Expo 2009

5 August 2009
 
Media Release
 
He Huia Kaimanawa - Māori Language Expo 2009

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (The Māori Language Commission) announces a new two day event called He Huia Kaimanawa, a Māori Language Expo, which will take place at Te Rauparaha Arena and Event Centre in Porirua, 15-16 October 2009.

He Huia Kaimanawa will consist of three parts including: a symposium called ‘He Whakairinga Kupu, He Whakapiringa Tangata’ which will discuss community based te reo Māori revitalisation initiatives; an expo called ‘Ngā Whetū Koea’ which will showcase successful te reo Māori projects, and finally the awards component, ‘Ngā Tohu Reo Māori’ which will celebrate te reo Māori success and innovation across Aotearoa.

 “We’ve received a lot of feedback over the years regarding the awards platform and we realised that we needed to create a forum where our staunchest language advocates as well as newcomers, supporters from across the spectrum, could come together and share ideas and knowledge around building te reo Māori revitalisation in communities, hence He Huia Kaimanawa”, says Huhana Rokx, Chief Executive of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.

The awards component has also had a re-focus and will now recognise those projects and initiatives which seek longer term commitments to te reo Māori.

“Māori Language Week and the associated awards have been important in creating critical awareness of language revitalisation amongst wider New Zealand society groups for which the value of te reo Māori is not immediately clear or obvious.  The challenge now is building on the goodwill and positivity created during Māori Language Week with a view to creating longer term commitments to the language”, says Huhana Rokx.  

For more information on He Huia Kaimanawa and entry forms for the Māori Language Awards, please go to the Kōrero Māori website at www.koreromaori.co.nz

The closing date for entries for the Māori Language Awards has been extended to 17 August 2009.

ENDS   

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