Board congratulates Aucklanders on Te Reo Māori success
17 September 2018
The Independent Māori Statutory Board is congratulating Aucklanders for getting behind Te Wiki o Te Reo (Māori Language Week) and showing their support for te reo Māori.
“Tino pai, and well done to everyone who's been prepared to give te reo a go last week, your efforts are really appreciated and are helping to normalise our beautiful language by bringing it into everyday use,” Board chairman, David Taipari, said today.
David Taipari said while Aucklanders deserved the most praise for trying hard to incorporate te reo into their everyday language, many large institutions and smaller enterprises around the city were making a special effort for this year’s theme, “Kia Kaha te reo Māori”, “Let’s make the Māori language strong.”
Mr Taipari said the fact so many businesses and enterprises around the city were making a concerted effort to get behind Te Wiki o Te Reo is indicative of the popularity of the language and the fun people are having by being given simple te reo resources to use like how to order your coffee in te reo.
“Auckland Council too deserves a pat on the back for being the first council in New Zealand to adopt a Māori language policy. Through its efforts to make city signage bi-lingual, many Aucklanders are feeling great pride in their city’s unique point of difference which the Māori language and culture highlight.”
Mr Taipari said he looks forward to the day when te reo is not just a weekly event once a year but an alternative language used every day by everyone.
“As each year passes, as a city we are a little further ahead with te reo in terms of its active and visible use but we need to keep the momentum going as the opportunities for the use of te reo is limitless. Including te reo announcements on buses, trains, and ferries, reinstating customary names and Māori names for new roads, railway stations, and bilingual wayfinding are easy examples of how te reo can be normalised.” David Taipari said.