Its Māori Language Week! Now is a great time to flex your Te Reo Māori skills and sprinkle it into your daily vocab. As a nation, we have adopted many individual words and phrases into our everyday life. We've collated a small list for you to check out. Find new Māori words or brush up on existing ones which you and the whanau can use.
Words you may already know or use:
Kia ora (informal greeting)
Koro (grandfather or elder male)
Kai (food)
Ka pai (good)
Hangi (food cooked in the earth)
Whanau (extended family)
Haka (we all know this one!)
Learn and sing the Māori alphabet
Conversation:
Try using these in your everyday sentences. Grab your whānau(family) or hoa (friend) give it a go!
Kia ora – hi
Haere mai – welcome / enter
Whenua – land / homeland
Mōrena – good morning
E noho – sit down
E tu – stand up
Whakarongo – listen
Aroha – compassion / love
Iti – small, little
Nui – large, big
Hei aha atu – don’t worry
Meri Kirihimete – Merry Christmas
Matariki – beginning of Māori New Year
Days of the week:
Rāhina / Mane – Monday
Rātū / Tūrei – Tuesday
Rāapa / Wenerei – Wednesday
Rāpare / Taite – Thursday
Rāmere / Paraire – Friday
Rāhoroi – Saturday
Rātapu – Sunday
Fun, simple, Harakeke flax activity for the Tamarki
Flax weaving a basket, watch this video to find out how...
Raranga Stick Weaving:
Did you know weaving helps improve motor skills? Get the kids together and learn how the Māori weaved items using sticks.
Make it as simple or complex as you want it. Choose to make a simple square mat or frame, or try your hands at creating a basket.
Looking to zhoosh things up in your stick weaving? Add in plaited pieces or foraged, seasonal natural items from your garden, or use a combination of whole flax and thin strip blades to create visual contrast.
Threading & Beads
The humble Harakeke (Flax) fibre is often overlooked when making goods in fashion and home decor, but it has so many uses!
Get the kids together and try your hands at making Harekeke string to make necklaces, fishing lines, or to hang artworks.
Another item to try making is making Harakeke beads. Cut up a piece of flax and then leave it to dry and curl in the sun!
The longer its left the dry, the tighter the beads will be. I suggest cutting the leaves in the morning & treading them in the afternoon. The beads can be left to tighten on their cord once threaded.