Celebrating 25 Years of Scoop
Theme For Te Wiki o te Reo Māori Announced
The theme for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2024 is ‘Ake Ake Ake – A Forever Language’.
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori will take place from the14th – 21stof September 2024. The theme celebrates the resilience of te reo Māori in Aotearoa, for all New Zealanders to enjoy.
“Under enduring pressure te reo Māori has shown it will adapt and survive”, says Ngahiwi Apanui-Barr, Tumu Whakahaere, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.
“Te reo Māori grows with our people, our culture and our environment.
“‘Ake ake ake’ means ‘everlasting’. It captures the endurance of te reo Māori and all those who are committed to it”, says Ngahiwi .
In World War II,the 28th Māori Battalion marched into Europe singing 'Ake! Ake! Kia Kaha e!' Today the phrase ends karakia and speeches with unity and solidarity. Wherever this uplifting expression appears, ‘Ake ake ake’ symbolises hope and resilience.
The native ake ake tree is also known for its durability. It produces some of the strongest of all native woods and grows in some of the harshest climates. Its name reminds us of its endurance. Just like te reo Māori.
“We can think of te reo Māori as a seedling with potential. Raised with others, given care and effort, it can grow to give shelter for future generations”, Ngahiwi says.
This year Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori is launching a catchy new waiata for Te Wiki, it will celebrate friends of te reo Māori in the business sector, host an open webinar with Canada’s first ever Commissioner for Indigenous Languages and the colourful parades are making a comeback in Wellington and Christchurch, the first since 2019.
“We had to move all our celebrations online over the last few years to keep ourselves safe during the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s great to get our reo back on the streets, schools, workplaces and sports sidelines. Let’s celebrate!”.
All New Zealanders can show their support for te reo. From displaying vibrant posters in their community, saying ‘kia ora’ to the bus driver, playing waiata Māori playlists in the cafe, joining a parade or hosting an event. It all helps to make te reo Maōri a living language.
Resources will be regularly uploaded in the lead up to Te Wiki for people to download, use and print. Keep checking out the latest on reomaori.co.nz.
Join us this Māori Language Week to uplift te reo Māori now and long into the future!
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