Local board members are gearing up to take part in Te Wiki o te Reo Māori from 13-19 September.
Franklin Local Board will start and end its weekly workshop - which will be held online during COVID-19 restrictions – with a karakia led by member Logan Soole, Ngāti Kahu and Te Rarawa.
Board chair Andy Baker says it’s appropriate Soole, one of New Zealand’s youngest elected councillors, lead the karakia.
“Logan has been active in helping members with their own te reo and has also championed our Tuia mentoring programme, working alongside our candidate Atea Kahukoka, Ngāti Te Ata, who has shared her own valuable insights with many others associated with council.”
The Tuia programme enables a rangatahi Māori to be mentored in council and board activities to develop their leadership potential, and to share their own knowledge and insights. Kahukoka will help board members during Māori Language Week by advising them how to improve their te reo pronunciation.
Whakataka te hau
Whakataka te hau ki te uru
Whakataka te hau ki te tonga
Kia mākinakina ki uta
Kia mātaratara ki tai
Kia hī ake ana te ata kura
He tio,he huka, he hauhu
Tīhei mauri ora!
“As a board we want to show our respect for te reo by actively taking part,” Soole, says.
“Saying karakia and pronouncing place names correctly are simple ways to uphold tikanga and give respect to the whenua in our rohe. We are lucky to have Atea supporting us with this mahi to do better. It’s never too late to start learning.”
Get ready for the westerly
And be prepared for the southerly
It will be icy cold inland
and bitterly cold on the shore
May the dawn rise red-tipped
With ice, snow and frost
Let there be life!
Ideas to participate in Te Wiki o te Reo Māori are here. Read what Justice Joe Williams had to say about the significance of Whakataka te hau here [PDF].
