New app unites three Waikato councils seeking to increase use of te reo Māori

Hauraki, Matamata-Piako and Thames-Coromandel District Councils together developed the new app Te Kete o Te Tara. Image / Te Kete o Te Tara, Hauraki District Council

Three Waikato councils have joined forces for a special project to boost the use of te reo Māori and the understanding of te ao Māori in their area.

Hauraki District Council, alongside Thames-Coromandel and Matamata-Piako district councils, created a free cultural app centred on local knowledge of the traditional Māori rohe known as Te Tara-o-te-ika-a-Māui, the region that encompasses the three councils.

The app, called Te Kete o Te Tara, includes useful vocabulary and everyday phrases, mihimihi (introductions), waiata (songs), whakataukī (traditional proverbs), tikanga (customs) and local maps.

The project was led by Hauraki District Council iwi and Māori liaison officer Larn Wilkinson who says the app was originally created as a resource for council staff.

“We wanted to create a tool .... to help increase people’s use of te reo Māori ... [and] this app is really easy to use and interactive. It was designed for staff but anybody can download it,” Wilkinson says.

The app has been a long time coming for Wilkinson, who says work on the project started around the time the Covid-19 pandemic hit New Zealand.

Te Kete o Te Tara includes lots of local knowledge including maps, proverbs, waiata (songs) and useful vocabulary with pronounciation guides. Image / Te Kete o Te Tara, Hauraki District Council

Although Hauraki District Council will officially launch the app in line with Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) next month, people can already use it now.

Wilkinson says the app so far clocked up 276 downloads and received lots of positive feedback on social media.

“It’s great to see people using it and commenting that they enjoy it ... Anything that promotes te reo Māori is a bonus for me.”

Apart from lots of local knowledge, the app also includes pronunciation guides and allows people to record their voices to check their pronunciation.

When asked about his favourite feature of the app, Wilkinson says it was difficult to choose one.

“I don’t have a favourite feature. [The app] does everything I hoped for.”

You can download Te Kete o Te Tara from the Apple store or Google Play.

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori will this year take place between September 11 and 17.