Music Industry News

E whakanuia ana te huritau 50 o Te Wiki o te Reo Māori Huri Noa i Aotearoa

Kei te pātata mai Te Wiki o te Reo Māori! I tēnei tau, ka whakanuia e Aotearoa te huringa tau 50 o Te Wiki, tētahi o ngā kaupapa tūmatanui e whakanui whānuitia ana e te motu.

I takea mai i ngā mahi porotū, i puāwai mai Te Wiki o te Reo Māori i te Rā Reo Māori kotahi i whakatōkia i te tau 1972.

“I te tau 1974, ka puta te whakaaro kia whakawhānuitia te roanga ki te wiki. I te tau 1975, ka whai tūnga Te Wiki, ā parahutihuti ana te rere o te kaupapa!” te kī a Ngahiwi Apanui-Barr, Te Tumu Whakahaere o Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.

I te haurua-rautau kua hori, kua tino tupu Te Wiki. He kaupapa iti noa i te tīmataranga — he wiki whakahaere kaupapa Māori, he ruri i ngā reo irirangi, me ngā hīkoi ā-hapori. I tēnei rā, e tū ana Te Wiki hei rangatohe ā-motu mō ngāi Aotearoa katoa.

“Kua koke tātou i tētahi wā me uaua ka kōrerotia te reo Māori i ngā wāhi tūmatanui, ki tētahi wā e waiatangia ana te reo ki ngā taiwhanga hākinakina, e kōrerotia ana hoki ki ngā wāhi mahi, ā, e whakanuia ana hoki i ō tātou kāinga.”

Mai i ngā hīkoi porotū i ngā tau 1980, ngā kaupapa whakatairanga me ngā matapae huarere reorua i ngā tau 1990, tae atu ki ngā rangatohe matihiko i ngā tau 2000, me te kaupapa ipurangi o Te Wā Tuku Reo Māori i whai wāhi ai te kotahi miriona kaitautoko, kua urutau tonu Te Wiki o te Reo Māori ki ngā āhuatanga o te wā.

Hei tā Ngahiwi, ko te huritau 50 he tūāoma whakahirahira e whakanui ana i nga whakatupuranga kiritohe, ngā kaiako, ngā whānau me ngā hapori i ū tonu ki te moemoeā kia rangona te reo Māori i ngā tōpito katoa o Aotearoa.

“He mea whakanui Te Wiki o te Reo Māori i mua kē i te whakaturenga o te reo hei reo whaimana. I tū hoki i mua i te whakatūnga o Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori. Inā te nui o te mana o tēnei kaupapa — nā te iwi tēnei i whakatū.

“I tēnei tau ko tā mātou tono ki a ngāi Aotearoa whānui kia kaua e whakanui noa, engari, kia whakaū mai anō i tā rātou tautoko ki te reo, kia whai wāhi anō te reo Māori ki ngā mahi o ia rā — i te kāinga, i te kura, i ngā wāhi mahi. He mana tō ia kupu.”

I tēnei tau, ka tū Te Wiki hei te 14–20 o Mahuru 2025, ā he nui hoki ngā kaupapa whakanui:
– 50 Wero Reo Māori – Whakatutukihia ētahi o ngā wero o te rārangi 50 Wero Reo Māori
– Pūtahi Mahara – E kuhu ki te Pūtahi Mahara reo Māori ka puritia mō te 50 tau e haere ake nei
– Heia tō ihi, heitiki! – Whakamaua, tuaritia hoki te heitiki ki ngā pae pāhopori
– Ākuanei tau mai ai anō he hautaonga hōu – He kaupapa mahi tahi ki Te Warewhare, ka rite mai ā mātou hautaonga, kākahu Kia Kaha te Reo Māori hou hoki mō Te Wiki
– Hīkoi mō te Reo – Whakapiri mai ki a mātou ki te tahatai o Te Whanganui-a-Tara ki te whakanui i te reo Māori
– Pūkete Tauira reo – Tirohia ngā rauemi hei āwhina i a koe ki te tīmata i tāu ako i te reo
– Terenga punua pāho – Whakarongo mai, mātaki mai i ngā kaikōrero mana nui e matapaki ana mō ngā take nui o te reo i tā mātou terenga punua pāho ka puta i ia rā o Te Wiki hei ngā wā tina

Ka āta whakaputahia e Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori ngā kōrero me ngā rauemi whakatairanga i te huritau 50 i mua i te wiki whaimana hei te Mahuru – tirohia te paetukutuku reomāori.co.nz.

50 Years of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori Celebrated Across Aotearoa

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) is just around the corner! This year, Aotearoa will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Te Wiki – one of the nation’s most celebrated public events.

Born of activism, Te Wiki grew from a single Māori Language Day that began 1972.

“The idea of expanding to a full week was seeded in 1974, and by 1975, Te Wiki had found its footing — and was off!” says Ngahiwi Apanui-Barr, Chief Executive of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission).

Over the last half-century, Te Wiki has grown from strength to strength. Its beginnings were humble — a week of Māori-led activities, jingles on radio, and grassroots marches. Today, it stands as a nationwide movement for all New Zealanders.

“We’ve gone from a time when te reo Māori was barely heard in public, to a time when it’s sung in stadiums, spoken in workplaces, and celebrated in our homes”.

From protest marches in the 1980s, ad campaigns and bilingual weather reports in the 1990s, to digital movements in the 2000s, including a one-million strong online Māori Language Moment, Te Wiki has continually evolved to meet the times.

Ngahiwi says this year’s 50-year milestone is a tribute to generations of activists, educators, whānau, and communities who never gave up on the dream of hearing te reo Māori everywhere in Aotearoa.

“Māori Language Week existed before te reo was an official language. It existed before the Māori Language Commission (Te Taura Whiri) did. That’s how powerful this kaupapa is — it was built by the people.

“This year we ask New Zealanders not just to celebrate, but to recommit and make te reo Māori a part of your daily life — in your home, your school, your workplace. Every word counts.”

This year, Te Wiki takes place from 14–20 September 2025 and there is something on offer for everyone:
– 50 Wero Reo Māori – Challenge yourself and give our list of 50 reo challenges a go
– Pūtahi Mahara – Be part of history by contributing to our reo Māori digital time capsule
– Heia tō ihi, heitiki! – Wear and share the heitiki with pride on social media.
– New merch drop coming – In partnership with The Warehouse, our next drop of Kia Kaha te Reo Māori kākahu and merch will be ready for Te Wiki
– Hīkoi mō te Reo – Join us on the Wellington Waterfront to celebrate te reo Māori
– Beginner’s te reo kit – Check out some resources to get you started on your reo journey
– Webinar series – Join us every lunchtime to hear from a range of exciting speakers on different aspects of te reo

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori will be releasing more details around the 50th anniversary campaign, events and resources in the lead-up to the official week in September – check out reomāori.co.nz.

Check out all things Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori below:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Youtube