Te reo Māori has been an official language of New Zealand since 1987, and Te Wiki o te Reo Māori has been celebrated in New Zealand since 1975, in an effort to raise awareness of the language, and get New Zealanders to embrace te reo Māori and use it more. Māori Language Week is organised by Te Taura Whiri (Māori Language Commission).
Join us September 12-18 as we celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, Māori Language Week. What are you doing this week to participate? Kia kaha te reo Māori!
In the libraries we will have te reo Māori board games available to play all week from 3.30-5.00pm. Compete against your friends and family, or challenge one of our librarians! To find more games to play at home, head to https://www.reomaori.co.nz/ideas and click on 'Tākaro'.
Here are some books from our library's collection that can help you on your te reo journey:
We love these Reo pēpi board books by Kitty Brown and Kirsten Parkinson: a series of bilingual books for whānau, with simple language and bright, engaging illustrations, covering colours, shapes, animals, opposites, and more. Introduce your pēpi to te reo, and they will have a firm foundation for learning the language in later life. Not only that, but they’re a great way to brush up your own skills too!
Scotty and Stacey Morrison are an absolute taonga for our nation, and their pukapuka are always flying off the shelves here at the libraries. With their hugely popular everyday guides to learning the Māori language, this couple have made te reo accessible to more New Zealanders than ever before.
One of our favourite authors is multiple-award-winner Kat Quin Merewether, creator of the ever-popular ‘Kuwi the Kiwi’ books, which have been translated by legendary champion of te reo, Pānia Papa. Their most recent collaboration is ‘Kuwi & Friends Māori Picture Dictionary’, a joyful and colourful celebration of all things te reo. Once again, a painless way for all ages to dive into the language!
For listening or reading on the go, check out over two dozen ebooks and eAudiobooks from Borrow Box. You will find Scotty Morrison's everyday guides, the delightful 'Aroha' by Hinemoa Elder, Francis Tipene's Tikanga and so much more.