Celebrating 50 Years of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori!

This week we celebrate 50 years of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori! Where we try to use more te reo Māori in our daily lives and enjoy learning more whakatauki, kīwaha and pūrākau. This is a slide that classrooms are using daily to help celebrate using more te reo Māori, this week and beyond! 

Tikanga Wakari perform at Otago Polyfest 2025

 

Utaina Haka

This year we have been incredibly fortunate to have Che Arekateratera supporting our Kapa Haka learning alongside Whaea Sue.

The kaupapa of our Kapa Haka learning this year has centred around Ngā Hekenga o Ngā Waka ki Aoetearoa, the voyage of the waka to Aotearoa. 

This important Haka reflects some of our learning in this area. In our version of this Haka we have changed "Pōneke (Wellington)" to "Ōtepoti".

Waiata Hou! Araiteuru!

 We have been enjoying learning a beautiful new waiata this year, Araiteuru. This waiata was composed by Waiariki Parata-Taiapa and has quickly become a favourite amongst our tamariki!

Read on to se the lyrics of this beautiful song and about the meaning behind it. (Information sourced from https://www.thows.org.nz/arai-te-uru)

Waiata | Araiteuru

E tū Araiteuru e

Araiteuru ki uta

Araiteuru ki tai e

Araiteuru te waka

Araiteuru tākata

Ko hui mai nei

I ruka i te aroha

E tū Araiteuru e

Ka titiro atu rā

Ki kā mauka whakahī

Ki kā awa e rere nei

Ki te moana uriuri

Ki te papa e takoto nei

Ko hui mai nei

I ruka i te aroha

E tū Araiteuru e

E tū Araiteuru e

Araiteuru inland

Araiteuru to the ocean

Araiteuru the vessel

Araiteuru the people

We come here

In the embrace of love

Araiteuru, stand tall

I look out

To the lofty mountains

To rivers that flow

To the vast ocean

To the land beneath us

We come here

In the embrace of love

Araiteuru, stand tall

Araiteuru, stand tall

Composed by Waiariki Parata-Taiapa, this waiata talks about safeguarding the innate connection between the whenua, wai, and tāngata (people). As Waiariki said “I think it’s a simple message. Everyone loves to sing a song or two”.

This is a waiata ā-rika/action song composed with the intent to whakakahau/entertain and connect people to their culture.

Karakia Timatanga

We start our Kapa Haka sessions with a Karakia Timatanga (beginning karakia). We often use this karakia as it is a settling, calming karakia. A "Karakia Hinengaro" to settle and ready our minds for the new learning we are about to do together.