Te Ahu Library hosts activites to celebrate reo
Every week is Ma¯ ori Language Week for many in the Far Far North with almost half the population identifying as Ma¯ ori — the district is a hotbed of Te Reo speakers.
But that doesn’t stop locals from getting behind the official Te Wiki o te Reo Ma¯ ori (Ma¯ ori Language week) that the whole country is celebrating.
A number of events and activities have been organised for the week, with the Te Ahu Library at Kaita¯ ia having a packed programme for the week.
Librarian Aria Robin-Underwood said the aim was to have some fun events that adults and children could enjoy to celebrate the week.
On Tuesday she was busy helping Timothy, aged 6, to make a Tukutuku Toi Ma¯ ori — a traditional artform — that he said was fun to do.
Robin-Underwood was also designing the large tukutuku the library would use for people to work on.
There’s a competition to find the 100 Ma¯ ori words hidden throughout the library; Nga¯ Ta¯karo Ra¯ game days; Te Wiki o te Reo Ma¯ ori storytime; Tukutuku Toi Ma¯ ori; The Ako, Ko¯ rero, Me Ta¯ karo after-school programme and Kapu T¯ı Ko¯ rero (a cup of tea and te reo conversations).
For more details of events at the library go to https://kaitaianz.co.nz/ library-2/ or check them out on Facebook.
The theme for this year’s Ma¯ ori Language Week is Ake Ake Ake, made famous by the 28th Ma¯ ori Battalion when they marched singing into Europe.
The phrase also ends many karakia and speeches with unity and solidarity.
This week is an opportunity to take stock of the language, from where it was 30 years ago to where it is now — and where we need it to go.
i
For more information about Ma¯ori Language Week go to https://www.reomaori.co.nz/