210427 WBOPPHO Bilingual Signage Guide

Māori-English Bilingual Signage Guide Best Practice

Kiri Peita and Michaela Kamo

126 Eleventh Avenue, Tauranga 3110 PO Box 13225, Tauranga 3141

April 2021

P: (07) 577 3190 | wboppho.org.nz

Acknowledgement We would like to express our thanks to Te Puni Kōkiri, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Fifth Avenue Family Practice Tauranga, Te Reo Hāpai, Green Cross Health and Tohu Haumaru Aotearoa. Thank you for sharing your resources, your tireless work to make Te Reo visible and to ensure it is here for future generations.

Te Reo Māori in Signage Using te reo Māori in signage signals that it is ok to speak te reo and that it is valued. This encourages people who are new to learning and using te reo Māori. It strengthens relationships between an organisation and Māori and reinforces our national identity. Bilingual signage supports The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners Foundation Standard 3.3 in Indicator 3, Rights and health needs of Māori.(2) Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry of Māori Development) and Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission) have published a Māori-English bilingual signage guide for best practice. (1) These documents and content from Fifth Avenue Family Practice Tauranga have informed the content of this document.

Please refer to these links for more information on bilingual signage. https://www.tpk.govt.nz/docs/bilingual-signage/tpk-bilingual-signage-guide-web.pdf Te Tohu Reorua » Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori

What is Bilingual Signage?

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Bilingual signage is the use of two languages that each give the same message or information. Such signage can take many forms and appear in many places, for example, on buildings and business cards and, electronically, in emails and websites.

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Bilingual signage in Aotearoa New Zealand represents the two official written languages, Māori and English.

Why is Bilingual Signage Important?

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Bilingual signage supports Te Tiriti o Waitangi – Partnership, Participation and Protection. These articles include a commitment to preserving and protecting te reo Māori (a taonga/treasure).

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Te reo Māori is an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand.

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Bilingual signage offers the opportunity to normalise te reo Māori through increased visibility that are important factors for language vitality.

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Good use of bilingual signage contributes to fostering better connection and relationships between an organisation and Māori. For some individuals in these environments, they feel instantly safe and welcome.

This communication is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not read it – please contact me immediately, destroy it, and do not copy or use any part of this communication or disclose anything about it. Thank you.

Key principles (1)

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Responsive and accessible services for all patients including those who use te reo Māori.

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Visibility of language where it will have most benefit for patients, including those who use te reo Māori.

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Equality of language where te reo Māori and English are presented equally, or Māori only.

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Quality of language where te reo Māori is accurate and consistent in all signage across general practices.

Steps in an action plan can include:

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Review and update the Māori Health Plan to include a bilingual signage action plan.

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Engage with the PHO Māori Health Team for advice and support on elements of the plan.

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Identify and engage a signage designer who understands bilingual signage principles.

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Engage and seek advice with the local iwi and/or hapū to ensure the appropriate use of language variation and macrons/tohutō are applied.

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Discuss the bilingual signage action plan with all staff, including why the practice has decided to use bilingual signage.

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Provide resources to assist staff in the use of correct pronunciation of te reo Māori patient names.

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Use te reo Māori greetings on the phone and within the organisation for all patients.

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Encourage the use of te reo Māori to normalise it and use correct pronunciation within practice teams.

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Develop an information sheet for patients and staff who may be curious about the need for bilingual signage and use of Māori greetings.

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Discuss with staff what questions and responses might be useful to include in the information sheet. Some simple questions and responses could be:

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Why are you saying Kia Ora now?

Kia ora is a warm and welcoming greeting which means ‘hello’ or ‘good health’. We want to convey this warmth and welcome to all patients.

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Why do you have Māori and English in signs?

Our Practice wants to accommodate our official written languages equally.

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What about other cultures?

Using Māori protocols is a way of honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and showing respect to Māori and non- Māori.

This communication is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not read it – please contact me immediately, destroy it, and do not copy or use any part of this communication or disclose anything about it. Thank you.

Design Elements (1) •

Use the same font style and equal typeface for Māori and English.

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Apply colour coding to highlight text and or language to distinguish it from the background panel.

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Be consistent in using the same colour and position of each language in all signs.

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Ensure a pictogram does not reduce the amount of text required.

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Place Māori first, either stacked or side by side.

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If both Māori and English cannot be easily read because signage is ‘visibly busy’, consider having Māori only.

Examples of design formats (please see the Te Puni Kōkiri (1) link for more examples): https://www.tpk.govt.nz/docs/bilingual-signage/tpk-bilingual-signage-guide-web.pdf

Suitable Formats

Unsuitable Formats

– Putanga not equal to Exit

– English not necessary with clearly understood icon

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This communication is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not read it – please contact me immediately, destroy it, and do not copy or use any part of this communication or disclose anything about it. Thank you.

Additional Resources to Support Te Reo Hāpai – the language of enrichment A Māori language glossary for use in the mental health, addiction, and disability sectors.

Home | Te Reo Hāpai (tereohapai.nz)

Tohu Haumaru Aotearoa Wāhi Mahi / Workplace Signs Te Reo Māori Signs: Workplace Signs | Safety Signs NZ Te Reo Māori Signs: Kowhaiwhai Signs | Safety Signs NZ

References 1.

Te Puni Kōkiri/ Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (2016). Te Tohu Reorua i te Reo Māori me te Reo Pākehā he kupu ārahi e kairangi ai ngā tikanga: Māori-English Bilingual Signage A guide for best practice. Aotearoa: Te Puni Kōkiri/ Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori. Retrieved from: https://www.tpk.govt.nz/docs/bilingual-signage/tpk-bilingual-signage-guideweb.pdf. Access Date: Paengawhāwhā 2021

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The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners: Te Whare Tohu Rata o Aotearoa (2020). Foundation Standard.

In Indicator 3. Rights and services of Māori (Version 1.0 ed.). Aotearoa: The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners: Te Whare Tohu Rata o Aotearoa. Retrieved from: https://www.rnzcgp.org.nz/Quality/Foundation/TuroroPatients/3__Rights_and_health_needs_of_Maori/Quality/Indicators/3.aspx?hkey=eccb9831-d6a4-4594-850e7079fd5a07ee&iSession=0b366349ab194414b360df7a3a45a8b5,0b366349ab194414b360df7a3a45a8b5. Access Date: Paengawhāwhā 2021

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This communication is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you should not read it – please contact me immediately, destroy it, and do not copy or use any part of this communication or disclose anything about it. Thank you.