Auckland Council is all in for te reo Māori this month, with exhibitions, events and activities not only for Te Wiki o te reo Māori but also for the grassroots kaupapa Mahuru Māori.
Auckland Festival kaihautū Māori, Ataahua Papa, says the libraries are leading the charge, and local councils are also working to implement the Kete Rukuruku strategy to work with mana whenua on restoring the Māori names of parks and prominent places.
People can also test themselves by singing waiata in Graham Tipene’s interactive installation Waimahara in the Mayoral Drive underpass between Meyer’s Park and the Civic Centre.
“If you’re singing in turn everything’s nice and I’ve seen it in action and people who try singing without knowing the waiata, it doesn’t really react so I’m not sure how the technology reacts but they’ve done some great things down there. The city centre is buzzing with te reo Maori,” Ms Papa says.
Saturday marked 52 years since the Māori language petition was handed over on the steps of Parliament.
