Auckland libraries have plenty for the children to do during Māori Language Week.
Auckland libraries are getting behind Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori and Mahuru Māori for Aucklanders to get on board the waka and enjoy special activities.
To whakanui (celebrate) this, here are five ways to learn and experience te reo Māori and be part of its celebrations through reading, watching, listening, learning and playing.
Ki te hoe! (To the paddle!)
1. Read a children’s book that reads along with you in te reo Māori
Auckland Libraries has teamed up with global company Library Ideas in a world first to translate and add spoken Māori to six children’s books. The books come with VOX readers attached to their front covers that read the books aloud. Listen along to narrators such as renowned Māori actors Miriama McDowell and Kimo Houltham. They’re perfect for tamariki (children) or pakeke (adults) learning a new language to help them match the words to the sounds.
2. Watch Ngako, a new documentary film episode at Aotea Square
Ngako: The Collections Talk is a documentary film series that explores the taonga held in Auckland Council Libraries Heritage Collections. This Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, a new Ngako episode will be released on the big screen at Aotea Square, taking a closer at the specially selected exhibition taonga that capture the eloquence of te reo Māori in written form. People are encouraged to journey with narrators who illustrate how documentary heritage collections help us understand our past and our present and show us potential paths into our future. View this on the digital stage at Aotea Square during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori.
3. Learn te reo Māori from your local library or maunga
“Kia ora, ko wai koe? Kei te pēhea koe?” (“Hello, who are you? How are you?”) Auckland Council Libraries offers te reo Māori classes throughout Tāmaki Makaurau to Aucklanders with any level of ability, an entry point to learn the language of Aotearoa and enrich your understanding of Māori culture. As Auckland Council Libraries kaiako (teacher) Yvonne Te Wanihi Edwards says: “The more you use the conversation, the more you hear it, the easier it becomes.” Everyone is encouraged to give it a go and ako i te reo (learn the language). Alternatively, people could visit Love Your Maunga Facebook and Instagram pages for an audio pronunciation guide of Ngā Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau (the ancestral mountains of Auckland). Find a Te Reo o Te Taiao phrasebook and connect with the beauty of our maunga.
4. Take on a challenge for Mahuru Māori
Mahuru Māori is a reo Māori challenge that came about as a personal social experiment by language revitalisation expert and activist Paraone Gloyne in 2014, as a way of broadcasting te reo Māori and normalising it in everyday interactions. The challenge is to consciously use as much te reo Māori as you can during the month of Mahuru. Mahuru Māori is a great opportunity for everyone to speak te reo Māori. It doesn’t matter what your level of the Māori language may be, all ages and abilities are encouraged to take up the challenge.
5. Put on your own event, learn te reo Māori or spark up a kōrero i te reo Māori
It is suggested Aucklanders head to the website Te Wiki o te Reo Māori to download free resources that include Māori wordlists, Zoom backgrounds, question prompts, pronunciation posters, event hosting guides, and more. They’re all designed to awhi (help) whānau do something for te reo Māori, no matter how big or small.
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