‘Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

The first event I attended when I arrived in New Zealand six months ago, was an online International Women’s Day event (even though I had broken up with international women’s day). I joined because I basically knew one person in Auckland, and I wanted to see what the locals had in store for such an important (cough) day.

The event was led by some interesting and important people in New Zealand. The opening address and welcome was given by a young white and very impressive kiwi woman. The first 5-10 minutes of the address was given in Māori, the indigenous language of New Zealand. Panic ensued. I literally have no Māori language skills. And my ability to pick up new languages is sub-par.

Despite my lack of talent for language, I love that New Zealand is adopting Māori language more broadly. I love that when the weather is presented on TV they use the Māori word and then the English word for each city. And I love that my kids are learning Māori language and culture at school. Living and working in different countries is a great way to learn and experience things that are different. From that we learn to challenge our views, build curiosity, and develop understanding and kindness.

This week is Māori Language Week, also called ‘Te Wiki o te Reo Māori,’ and is government-sponsored. It aims to inspire New Zealanders to learn and speak the Māori language and is part of a larger effort to revitalize the Māori language, and the culture.

My goal for this week? To sign up to a course to learn the indigenous language of Aotearoa (New Zealand) and gain to learn and access te ao Māori – the Māori worldview.

What's your goal for learning something new this week?

Lisa xx