Māori Language Week in Lower Hutt
2023 11-17 Mahuru September
Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori Māori Language Week
Every year in September, we celebrate Aotearoa New Zealand’s first language during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week).
In 1972, a group of language champions, including Ngā Tamatoa, Victoria University’s Te Reo Māori Society, and Te Huinga Rangatahi presented a petition to parliament from over 30,000 New Zealanders asking the government to teach Māori language in schools.
A Māori Language Day introduced that year became Māori Language Week in 1975.
In 1982, Māori language champions marched to parliament again, calling for te reo to be made an official language in its own land.
In the same year, the first ever Kōhanga Reo was opened in Wainuiomata. Located in Pukeatua, Te Kōhanga Reo was intended to stop the decline of people
speaking te reo Māori by creating an environment for tamariki and pēpi to be immersed in their language and culture.
Nga Kaiwhakapūmau i te Reo (Wellington Board of Māori Language) took a claim to the Waitangi Tribunal in 1985 that asserted that te reo was a taonga that the Crown was obliged to protect under the Treaty of Waitangi.
In 1987, te reo Māori was declared an official language of New Zealand.
We celebrate Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori every year with programmes such as Wā Tiaki Pēpi, Kapa Haka, Tākaro, and of course the Māori Moment. So, head to your local Neighbourhood Hub to check out what is on offer this year for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori!
The Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori logo
The Kia kaha te reo Māori logo, often used during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, was created by Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori (The Māori Language Commission). It is a contemporary interpretation of the heitiki, representing strength, leadership, nurture, and Aotearoatanga.
The tongue represents the elements of revitalisation: status, critical awareness, acquisition, use, and corpus.
The colours used in the arero represent the rākau used in teaching the Ataarangi method, familiar now to decades of school children and adults.
Kaupapa Mā te Rā Events by date
10 Mahuru | September 11 Mahuru | September
All day | Sunday Funday
Petone Neighbourhood Hub
Join the Pito-one team to learn how to weave mats!
11 Mahuru | September
10:30am | Wā Tiaki Pēpi
Naenae Neighbourhood Hub
Songs and rhymes with your pēpi.
10am | Wā Tiaki Pēpi
Eastbourne Neighbourhood Hub & War Memorial Library
Songs and rhymes with your pēpi.
3pm | Tākaro Table
Kōraunui Neighbourhood Hub
Try your hand at the fun Māori memory game - Tākaro!
11am | Wā Tiaki Pēpi
War Memorial Library
Songs and rhymes with your pēpi.
3pm | Crafternoon
War Memorial Library
Craft your own poi and learn a simple song to use them with!
3pm | Kaitiaki Māra Kai
Wainuiomata Neighbourhood Hub
Help create and design a kaitiaki for our Māra Kai!
3:30pm | Games On!
Naenae Neighbourhood Hub
12 Mahuru | September
All day | Scavenger Hunt
Kōraunui Neighbourhood Hub
Can you find all of the taonga that’s hidden around the hub?
2pm | Ngā Whetū:
Wānanga & Raranga
Naenae Neighbourhood Hub
Learn Māori weaving.
0-2
10am | Wā Tiaki Pēpi
Moerā Neighbourhood Hub
Songs and rhymes with your pēpi.
3pm | Māori Board Games
Wainuiomata Neighbourhood Hub
Bring your friends and whānau to play some Māori board games!
10am | Pakiwaitara
Wainuiomata Neighbourhood Hub
Storytime in Te Reo Māori.
3pm | Whānau Film
Walter Nash Neighbourhood Hub
10:30am | Wā Tiaki Pēpi
Kōraunui Neighbourhood Hub & Petone Neighbourhood Hub
Songs and rhymes with your pēpi.
2pm | Kupu Tupu Time
War Memorial Library
Play Hutt City Libraries own version of Scrabble in Te Reo Māori!
8-12
3:30pm | Inklings
Naenae Neighbourhood Hub
Explore books, play games, and get creative!
13 Mahuru | September
All ages
10am | Muritai School
Kapa Haka
Eastbourne Neighbourhood Hub
Join us for a special performance from Muritai School Kapa Haka.
12pm | Roopu Kaumatua
War Memorial Library
Join the Hīkoikoi Kaumatua Roopu celebrating with waiata and kōrero.
10am | Mid-Week Movie
3pm | Tākaro Table
Walter Nash Neighbourhood Hub
Try your hand at the fun Māori memory game - Tākaro! 10am | Waiata Māori & Kai
Naenae Neighbourhood Hub
Wainuiomata Neighbourhood Hub
Haere mai (welcome all) seniors and kaumatua!
3pm | Whānau Film
Kōraunui Neighbourhood Hub
10:30am | Pakiwaitara
Naenae Neighbourhood Hub
Storytime in Te Reo Māori.
3:30pm | Common Room
Naenae Neighbourhood Hub
A rangatahi space where you can make Te Reo Māori zines!
11am | Pakiwaitara
Moerā Neighbourhood Hub
Storytime in Te Reo Māori.
3:30pm | Crafternoon
Maungaraki Community Library
Craft your own poi and learn a simple song to use them with!
14 Mahuru | September
11am | Pakiwaitara
Kōraunui Neighbourhood Hub
Storytime in Te Reo Māori.
3:15pm | Kids’ Creative Session
Moerā Neighbourhood Hub
Bring your friends and whānau and learn how to weave some placemats!
3pm | Let’s Get Active:
Ki o Rahi
Wainuiomata Neighbourhood Hub
3pm | Tākaro Time
Walter Nash Neighbourhood Hub
Play some active games inside, or outside if the weather is nice!
5+
3:30pm | Art Spot
Naenae Neighbourhood Hub
Make your favourite kupu (word) into a sticker or magnet!
Te Wā Tuku Reo Māori Language Moment
14 Mahuru | September, 12pm
Te Wā Tuku Reo i Te Awa
Kairangi ki Tai
Dowse Square, Laings Road, Lower Hutt
Enjoy delicious paraoa parai (fry bread) and a hot drink, and watch a special performance from Te Whānau Tahi kapa haka roopu and Te Ara Whānui Kura Kaupapa
Māori o Ngā Kōhanga Reo o Te Awa Kairangi to celebrate Te Wā Tuku Reo (Māori Language Moment).
Waiata i Te Whare
Pukapuka
War Memorial Library
Warm up with a hot drink from 11:30am, then help us celebrate with waiata. Bring your own ukulele if you have one!
Kanikani Mai, Do the Mihi & Get the Treats
Kōraunui Neighbourhood Hub
Have a boogie to some upbeat and funky songs in Te Reo Māori and get a treat (hint- it’s delicious and deep fried)!
Te Wā Tuku Reo
Naenae Neighbourhood Hub
Māori Movement, Waiata & Kai
Wainuiomata Neighbourhood Hub
Come and join us for a hour of entertainment, including singing, dancing, and kai!
Kupu Tupu
and
other Māori games
Petone Neighbourhood Hub
Board Games
Eastbourne Neighbourhood Hub
15 Mahuru | September
10:30am | Wā Tiaki Pēpi
Petone Neighbourhood Hub Songs and rhymes with your pēpi.
11am | Pakiwaitara
War Memorial Library Storytime in Te Reo Māori.
2pm | Kupu Tupu
Eastbourne Neighbourhood Hub
Play Hutt City Libraries own version of Scrabble in Te Reo Māori!
All ages
3pm | Karaoke in the Nui
Wainuiomata Neighbourhood Hub
Waiata, kai and crafts. Come and sing your heart out!
3pm | Kōraunui Karaoke
Kōraunui Neighbourhood Hub
Dust off your vocal chords and sing some waiata!
3:15pm | Bricks & Pieces
Moerā Neighbourhood Hub
Create a Māori design with LEGO®.
16 Mahuru | September
10:30am | Wā Tiaki Pēpi
Petone Neighbourhood Hub
Songs and rhymes with your pēpi.
1pm | Kōraunui Ukulele
Group Performance
Kōraunui Neighbourhood Hub
Join the Kōraunui Ukulele Group who are coming to bless our ears with some waiata.
10:30am | Pakiwaitara
Eastbourne Neighbourhood Hub
Storytime in Te Reo Māori.
2pm | Tākaro Time
Kōraunui Neighbourhood Hub
Get active with dodgeball, basketball and more!
11am | Pakiwaitara
War Memorial Library
Storytime in Te Reo Māori.
3pm | Kaitiaki Māra Kai
Wainuiomata Neighbourhood Hub
Help create and design a kaitiaki for our Māra Kai!
17 Mahuru | September
All day | Sunday Fun Day
Petone Neighbourhood Hub
Join us for poi making!
Karawhiua!
Let’s give it a go!
Kaupapa Hirahira
Our special highlight events
Wā Tiaki Pēpi
Events that nurture our pēpi (babies) and their whānau (family)
Wā Waiata
Music that you can waiata (sing) and whakarongo (listen to)
Kēmu Ako
Games you can purei (play) with friends or whānau (family)
Whakapakari Tinana
Get active with kēmu (games) and hākinakina (sports)
Wā Kiriata
Learn about ao tūroa (the world) through movies and film
Mahi Toi
Arts and crafts that help make ātaahua (beautiful) things
Inu Wera
Have a kōrero (talk) and meet new friends over a hot drink
Kapa Haka Kanikani(dance) and waiata (song) performed by groups
Pakiwaitara
Events with waiata (songs) and pukapuka (books)
Te Ao Pūtaiao
The world of science where we ako (learn) new things
Kai
Share a meal and tūhononga (connect) with others
Te Puna Rauemiemi
Want to know more?
tetaurawhiri.govt.nz
Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori | Māori Language Commission
The Māori Language Commission was set up under the Māori Language Act 1987 to promote the use of Māori as a living language and as an ordinary means of communication.
reomaori.co.nz
Te Rangaihi Reo Maori | The Māori Language Movement
Resources, stories and tools to support you on your reo Māori journey, as well as information and resources for Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) and Te Wā Tuku Reo Māori (Māori Language Moment).
maoridictionary.co.nz
Te Aka | Māori Dictionary
As well as the words one would expect in a traditional dictionary, Te Aka has encyclopaedic entries including the names of plants and animals, stars, planets, important Māori people, tribal groups, and ancestral canoes.
toromai.massey.ac.nz
Toro Mai
Have fun exploring Te Reo Māori at home and in everyday situations with the Morrison family. This easy to use platform from Massey University is free to use. You can complete lessons on te reo Māori or tikanga Māori.
tewhanake.maori.nz
Te Whanake | Māori Language Learning
Te Whanake cover a lot of different resources not only offering books, they also have videos, podcasts and other resources ranging from beginner to advanced.
kupu.maori.nz
Kupu o Te Rā | Word of the Day
Kupu o te Rā is a word of the day service for Te Reo Māori made available by email and RSS news feed.
Contact Us
huttcity.govt.nz
hutt.city/libraries
hutt.city/pools
dowse.org.nz
The Dowse Art Museum
45 Laings Road, Lower Hutt 04 570 6500
Te Pātaka Kōrero o Ōkiwinui
Eastbourne Neighbourhood Hub 38 Rimu Street, Eastbourne 04 562 8042
Huia Pool + Fitness
Huia Street, Lower Hutt 04 570 6655
Te Kaunihera o Te Awa Kairangi
Hutt City Council 30 Laings Road, Lower Hutt 04 570 6666
Te Pātaka Kōrero o Kōraunui
Kōraunui Stokes Valley
Neighbourhood Hub
186 Stokes Valley Road 04 562 9050
Whare Pūrākau | Maungaraki
Community Library
137 Dowse Drive, Maungaraki 028 2550 3219
Te Pātaka Kōrero o Moerā
Moerā Neighbourhood Hub
107 Randwick Crescent, Moerā 04 568 4720
Te Pātaka Kōrero o Te Ngaengae
Naenae Neighbourhood Hub
Hillary Court, Naenae 04 567 2859
Te Pātaka Kōrero o Pito-One
Petone Neighbourhood Hub
7 Britannia Street, Petone 04 568 6253
Stokes Valley Pool + Fitness
Bowers Street, Stokes Valley 04 562 9030
Te Pātaka Kōrero o Wainuiomata
Wainuiomata Neighbourhood Hub
1A Queen Street, Wainuiomata 04 564 5822
Te Pātaka Kōrero o Taitā
Walter Nash Neighbourhood Hub
Taine Street, Taitā 04 560 1094
Te Pātaka Kōrero o Te Tatau ki
te Maramatanga | War Memorial Library Neighbourhood Hub
2 Queens Drive, Lower Hutt 04 570 6633
Printed on 100% recycled paper using vege inks, please recycle me! Information was correct at printing. To confirm event information please contact the venue.