Library Service Delivery Co-ordinator Christie Wilson’s Te Hītori o te reo Māori exhibit in the Central Library will be on display for the rest of September.
Kia māmā te whai wāhi – Making it easier to take part.
Te reo Māori will be seen, heard and celebrated across Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka this coming Wiki o te Reo Māori.
At the Central Library on the Dunedin campus, preparations are under way for a week of opportunities for tauira and kaimahi to kōrero, learn and engage with te reo Māori.
Co-ordinator for Library Service Delivery, Christie Wilson’s Te Hītori o te reo Māori exhibition will be making a return. The display brings together books, research and stories tracing the history of te reo Māori – from the impact of colonisation and language suppression through to its revitalisation and resurgence.
Christie first created the exhibition for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori last year, with support from Library Māori Engagement Adviser Donna Waitere. This year, it will again be displayed in the centre of the Library, where more than 1,000 students pass through each day.
“This is not an easy history to read. It is confronting. It is painful. For Māori, it can bring mamae because this is not just something that happened in the past,” Donna says.
“But the story doesn’t end with the pain. It is also a story of strength, resilience and hope.”
The exhibition will remain on display for a month.
“We need to know this history,” she says. “We need to know what happened, why it happened, and what it has taken to bring te reo Māori back to where it is today.”
Throughout Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, visitors to the library can also add their hometown to a big map of Aotearoa and the world, celebrating the theme of Reo Towns. They can take part in a weekly quiz with prizes and attend movie days each Friday over the next four weeks – all in te reo Māori - Moana, Moana 2, Coco, and Frozen.
Te reo Māori greetings will welcome visitors at the front desk, while various kupu and sayings will be displayed across the Library’s screens.
The Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Māori has also organised a range of events for tauira and kaimahi to take part in.
Each day of the week has its very own theme and goal to help prompt the use of te reo.
Mane–Tūrei
12-1pm | Pā Reo Māori – Reo Towns | Union Hall, Main Common Room
Stop by Pā Reo Māori for stalls, activities and resources designed to make using te reo easy and fun. Tauira and kaimahi can test themselves with quizzes, learn new kupu, play games and get involved in activities including making hei tiki and fixing poi.
The theme for Mane is ‘Te Reo i te Wāhi Tangata; Take te reo to the streets.’ The theme for Tūrei is ‘Te Reo i te Kāinga; Take te reo home.’
Wenerei
12–1pm | Tai Kōrero – Māori Language Plan Wānaka | Ground floor, Te Tumu
Kaimahi are invited to help shape the future of te reo Māori at Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka.
The wānaka will gather staff aspirations and ideas to inform the development of a plan which aims to create a clear and purposeful approach to revitalising and embedding te reo Māori across the institution.
Virtual attendance is available via Zoom. Places at Te Tumu are limited.
The theme for Wenerei is ‘Te Reo i te Wāhi Mahi; Make te reo part of the working day.’
Tāite
12-1pm | Ako Waiata Reo Māori | Union Hall, Main Common Room
Learn waiata written for Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka and put your skills to the test with karaoke hosted by tauira Tōmuri and Rene.
The theme for Tāite is ‘Te Reo i te Hapori; Use te reo together.’
Paraire
12-1pm | Wahapū: Whakataetae Reo Māori | Union Hall, Main Common Room
Tauira can take the stage for a te reo Māori speech competition inspired by Ngā Manu Kōrero and the Three-Minute Thesis competition. Prizes will be awarded for the best speeches.
12-2pm | Movie Days - Moana 2 | Central Library
Central Library will be hosting Movie Days every Friday lunchtime this month. Get comfy and have a break from your studies by relaxing and enjoying a movie.
The theme for Paraire is ‘Te Reo Auaha; Create in te reo.’
Tauira are encouraged to also keep an eye out for various events organised by their respective schools and divisions, including events by Te Kete Aronui and Te Kaupeka Mātai Rokoā-Koiora, as well as student associations such as Te Whaiputake. Tauira can expect activities such as amazing races, shared lunches and rounds of kī-o-rahi.
The final themes are, for Hātarei, ‘Te Reo i te Kori Tinana; Move with te reo.’ And for Hanarei, ‘Te Reo Tuku Iho; Carry te reo forward.’
And remember – kaua e whakamā ki te kōrero Māori. Ahakoa he iti, he taonga – don’t be shy to speak te reo Māori. No matter how little, treasure it!
–Kōrero by Ani Ngawhika, Kaitohutohu Pāpāho Māori