We should promote everyone having a go at learning te reo Māori – but please think twice before you ask a Māori person to do the heavy lifting for you, writes Nadine Anne Hura. One thing I’ve noticed about being a te reo speaker is just how often people assume I can do translations. I’ve … Read more
In the wake of negative te reo Māori stories this week, a hashtag has appeared that centres the conversation back on the positive. It’s said that in politics, once you’re in opposition conciliatory gestures are no longer required and the aim is to stay in the spotlight however you can. National Party leader Bill English … Read more
The tohutō (macron) is an important and powerful part of te reo Māori. Simon Day explains how to use it. The macron matters. The use of the tohutō is essential for the pronunciation, meaning, and status of te reo Māori. When you see a vowel with its hat on it means the sound is held … Read more
With 2017 coming to a close, one brave fisherman has thrown his hat in the Worst Opinions ring with a rant against te reo and those who dare speak it. Madeleine Chapman responds. You might be thinking that the Spinoff publishing responses to bad columns is getting old. But so are these columnists and that … Read more
A Māori language version of blockbuster Disney film Moana was released in September to celebrate Te Wiki o Te Reo. Now you can get the soundtrack in your ears! E te iwi!!! The Moana Reo Māori soundtrack is now available on Spotify! Mauri ora! @Lin_Manuel @DisneyStudios #Moana https://t.co/oUeDA1bBqA — Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) November 3, 2017 The film … Read more
This Te Wiki o Te Reo we’re sharing the stories of New Zealanders who have challenged themselves to learn te reo Māori. Today: journalist Shilo Kino (Tainui, Ngāpuhi) writes about finding her way home through studying Mandarin. I was a visitor even though it was ‘my’ marae. I watched my mother kneel down, mumble something … Read more
What’s in a name? Only everything, writes Miriama Kamo. I didn’t always love my name. When I was in primary I used to wish I was called Lisa or Michelle, something easy that didn’t raise eyebrows. As I recall this, another memory comes to mind. I remember plucking a flower from a tree on the … Read more
This Te Wiki o Te Reo we’re sharing the stories of New Zealanders who have challenged themselves to learn te reo Māori. Today: RNZ Morning Report host Guyon Espiner writes about fighting the ‘whitelash’. When I started learning te reo Māori in earnest this year I had one main fear: humiliation. I expected that Pākeha … Read more
This Te Wiki o Te Reo we’re sharing the stories of New Zealanders who have challenged themselves to learn te reo Māori. Today: musician Anna Coddington (Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Te Arawa) writes about doing it for your tamariki. My journey into learning te reo Māori begins like many of my generation: a grandparent punished for speaking … Read more
This Te Wiki o Te Reo we’re sharing the stories of New Zealanders who have challenged themselves to learn te reo Māori. Today: entrepreneur Derek Handley lays down a wero for others. If you really want something, making a public commitment to that goal can be one of the most effective ways to get there. … Read more