Wednesday, September 6, 2023 Wairarapa Midweek
FEATURE SUPPLEMENT
Te Wiki o te Reo MAori MĀORI LANGUAGE WEEK
11-17 SEP 2023
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SPEAK IT, make it stronger Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) is a popular, government-sponsored initiative promoting the use of Māori language. It is celebrated annually in September starting on a Monday and ending on the following Sunday. 2023 dates are: September 11-17 (11-17 Hepetema). And the theme in 2023 is Making the Language Stronger (Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori). Around the world, cultures and indigenous people who have been colonised by larger powers are seeking to revitalise their languages. Examples include the Welsh, the Irish, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, and the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people of Canada. Indigenous languages are important for many reasons. Researchers say that each language contains a unique, relational way of naming, seeing, and relating to the world that is particular to a specific area, land, and ecosystem. Indigenous languages are like ecological encyclopaedias and ancestral
guides with profound knowledge cultivated over centuries. If these languages are not passed on, then this wisdom is lost to humanity and the generations to come. Erasing a language effectively erases a culture and a people. The critical revitalisation of indigenous languages can include doing things as simple as erecting dual language road signs. A Māori language claim to the Waitangi Tribunal included this question from claimants: if it is worthwhile saving endangered birds such as the takahē, then is it not also worthwhile to save a language and the culture it supports? In Aotearoa New Zealand, Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori is part of the broader Māori language revival. The week aims to inspire New Zealanders to speak the Māori language proudly and to experience the richness of our culture. This special week is an opportunity to celebrate and promote te reo Māori, helping to secure its future as a living, dynamic, and rich language.
Are you up for te reo Māori challenge during Mahuru Māori? Mahuru refers to the fourth lunar month of the new year, roughly equivalent to Hepetema (September). Even if your te reo Māori skills stop at ‘kia ora,’ Mahuru Māori is something we can all attempt. Set your challenge: as a beginner just start with greeting and farewells in Māori. Get your mates involved. Speak te reo Māori: as much as you can. Let’s give Mahuru Māori our best shot.
“E tautoko ana a Ngati Kahungunu ki Wairarapa te wiki o te Reo Maori – Kia kaha Te Reo Maori!”
Te Taiao Team 2023. Photo Credit: Katie Brassel
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