Te Wiki o te Reo Māori: Celebrating Te Reo and Rangatahi

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori was a week of celebration and growth for us at Te Ara Hou Village, beginning with a beautiful acknowledgement ceremony at the flagpole on Monday. Together with the wider Village, we honored te reo Māori and its importance in our everyday mahi and relationships.

On Tuesday, our staff hui was led by Kristina, who first quizzed us on general facts around te reo Māori. Was a great way to open up the discussion and learn a bit about the history and events surrounding the resurgence and revitalisation of te reo Māori. Take the quiz here and test your knowledge: KARAWHIUA!

She then guided us through how to read the time in te reo Māori. It was a great opportunity for many to expand their reo skills in a practical way. After the lesson on reading the time, staff were split into teams to share their daily activities and the times they do these with what they had just learnt.

We learnt that some of us wake up very early to go the gym or walk the dog, and some of us snooze our alarms and then rush to mahi.😂 This exercise sparked conversations about how we can continue to integrate te reo into our daily work.

The highlight of the week came on Wednesday, with the sun shining down as we celebrated the opening of Whare Pukerangiora—the new rangatahi hub on Victoria Street. Te Ako Rangatahi, Mana Services, and Twenty20 will be based here, collaborating with Anglican Action to support rangatahi in our community.

The opening was a wonderful occasion, showcasing the potential of this new space and the impactful mahi that will take place. With external stakeholders and community partners in attendance, it was clear that Whare Pukerangiora will be a powerful space for rangatahi to thrive. You can read the whole article on the opening here.

Anei te kōrero, te wiki tino pai mō te hapori me te reo Māori!