Te Reo
Stories about and in support of Te Reo Māori revitalisation.
How do you say “token translation in Māori?”
This article was originally published in The Spinoff on 5 March, 2018. One thing I’ve noticed about being a te reo speaker is just how often people assume I can do translations. I’ve had requests to translate proverbs and prayers, lines of songs, ingredients, whole passages of books and even some wedding vows. Sometimes, it […]
More
Let the Revolution Continue
The call to make te reo Māori compulsory is getting louder and louder. This year, with Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori falling smack bang in the middle of the election, it’s almost impossible to ignore. But making Māori compulsory isn’t necessarily the magic bullet people are looking for. It’s not that we shouldn’t strive […]
MoreTe Reo Māori in Schools: 10 Things You Can Do
The debate about whether te reo Māori should be compulsory in schools is a massive distraction. What many people don’t realise is that schools already have a responsibility, under the Education Act, to provide instruction in te reo to every parent who asks for it. The key point? You have to ask for it. 1 (Tuatahi): Find out what […]
More
Learn Māori with Te Ataarangi
Shame is one of the biggest barriers many of us face in learning Māori. The word whakamā means “to whiten” yet it’s so much weightier than that. Shame and fear of speaking Māori isn’t something that only affects shy people. Even the most confident speakers can lose their voice sometimes. I’ve heard people deliver powerful prepared […]
MoreBe a hōhā about your kid’s education
A few years ago, I worked as a quiz writer on a TV show aimed at secondary school kids. Trial runs before the show left us scrambling. The historical questions had been pitched way too high. Some kids weren’t even sure what century the Treaty was signed, let alone the date. As for what each […]
More10 ways to keep the reo going in your home
Not long ago, I realised that I’m an expert in Māori. I can’t string two sentences together, get muri and mua mixed up constantly, and I need to use my fingers to count. But, hey, in my whānau, I’m the expert. My husband, though hugely supportive of me and my reo journey, isn’t enrolled in reo […]
MoreTe Reo Māori – A key to our future
My mum forced me to take Japanese all through high school. She believed that a second language would open doors for me and that Japanese was the pick of the options. A passport to another life, she promised. The world at my bilingual feet. There was only one fly in the ointment. I hated Japanese. Instead, in […]
MoreFive things you should know about learning te reo.
A lot of people have asked if I’m fluent in Māori after my year of total immersion. The answer is absolutely … not! Sadly, there’s no such thing as a fast track when it comes to te reo Māori. That’s lesson one for you. Lesson two is that you have to go backwards into […]
More