12 Sep 2017

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Ko tēnei te wiki o te reo Māori – It’s Māori Language Week!

We are celebrating Ōtautahi – Christchurch this Māori Language Week with a video showing some of our most recognisable landmarks.  Join us on a journey through some of our most iconic landscapes and landmarks and learn their original names. 

Te Wiki o te reo Māori: Māori Language Week is celebrated across the country in September every year. This year will see the release of postage stamps featuring modern Māori words like rorohiko,  meaning computer, and waea pūkoro, meaning mobile phone.

Māori Language Commission Chief Executive Ngahiwi Apanui said the stamp issue illustrates one of the important parts of revitalisation of the Māori language: expanding the range of words and terms available to deal with new concepts and things.

“We are in the midst of the third wave of expansion of te reo Māori. The first was when our ancestors first arrived in Aotearoa. New words were needed for everything from snow to kiwi. Then, on European contact, thousands more words were needed for things like iron, prayer books and alcohol. Now, along with all languages we are responding to the changes brought about by technology. The Commission does this every day, as do translators and other experts.”

Traditional Maori storytelling will also be on show at Christchurch City Libraries this week as Libraries celebrate Te Wiki o te reo Maori.

The Libraries will once again host Te Reo Wainene O Tua: The Sweet Story of Yester-year – a performance of traditional Maori storytelling - at three locations across the city from Thursday to Saturday, and have bilingual storytime sessions on Monday and Tuesday.

Christchurch City Council Head of Librarires Carolyn Robertson said Te Reo Wainene o Tua was a group striving to provide opportunities for the promotion and retention of te reo Maori.

“We are looking forward to once again hearing the reo ring out in our Libraries for the enjoyment of local tamariki and rangatahi and their whānau.”