Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori is a time to celebrate our native language and culture - it's also an opportunity to learn something new.
Whether it be just a kupu - word, or rerenga kōrero - a phrase, please take a moment to scroll down, click away and get started! You might see some familiar Hauora Tairāwhiti faces below too.
Click here for a high res version
Click here for a high res version
Whakataūki - Māori Proverbs
Now we have the important stuff out of the way - our morning coffee fix! - let's talk about whakataūki.
Whakataūki are Māori proverbs. They play a large role in Māori culture and are used as a reference point during speeches and as guidelines in day-to-day conversational Te Reo Māori.
You will find whakataūki scattered throughout this page, a few are below to get you started...
Ngāro atu he tētēkura, whakāeke mai he tētēkura.
When one chief disappears another is ready to appear. No one is indispensable.
Ka pū te rūha, ka hāo te rangatahi.
The old net is cast aside, while the new net goes a-catching.
He āha te kai ō te rāngatira? He Kōrero, he kōrero, he kōrero.
What is the food of the leader. It is knowledge. It is communication.Nō Hea Koe? Where are you from?
We know Hauora Tairāwhiti is in Gisborne - Tūrangānui-ā-Kiwa, but what about the rest of Aotearoa?
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Whakataūki - Māori Proverbs
Kia māte urūroa, kei māte whēke.
Fight like a shark, don’t give in like an octopus.
Ahakoa iti, he pounāmu.
Although it is small, it is of greenstone.
He au kei ūta e tāea te karo, he au kei te mōana e kore e tāea.
You may dodge smoke (au) on land, but you cannot dodge current at sea.
Finding Te Reo Māori pronounciation difficult?
That's okay! Language can be tricky. Have a look at the below Māori Pronouciation Guide to help you stay on the right track.
Click here for a high res version
Whakataūki - Māori Proverbs
He mānākō te koūra i kōre ai.
Crayfish are scarce when they are expected. 'Don’t count your chickens before they hatch'.
Nā te hinengāro ka kitea te āra whakāmua mou.
Through our minds, we can think our way into success.
E hara pae i te tāwhiti rāwa, ki ngā mea ē haere tikātia, ahākōa; he maunga mātauranga i pirangi au i te piki.
No horizon is too far for those properly prepared to go the distance, although the mountain of knowledge may seem huge, I always aim to reach the peak.
What does Te Reo Māori mean to you?
In the spirit of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, we asked some of our Hauora Tairāwhiti whanau what Te Reo Māori means to them.
“Te Reo is an increasingly important way to ensure messages around Hauora are conveyed with their full meaning and relevance to the people of our community.
As use of Te Reo grows we enrich (Whakarangatira) the depth of our care (Awhi), joining together (Kotahitanga) in a common language of compassion (Aroha).
Te Reo therefore helps us to live our WAKA values.” - Hauora Tairāwhiti Chief Executive Jim Green
Click here for more staff profiles
Whakataūki - Māori Proverbs
E āha te mēa nui ō te aō? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata!
What are the greatest things in the world? It is people, it is people, it is people!
Kia hora te marino, kia whākāpa pounāmu te mōana, kia tere te Karōhirōhi.
May the seas be calm, may they shimmer of summer, glisten like the greenstone and dance across the pathway.
Learning Te Reo Māori has never been so easy!
Below are some easy-to-integrate Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori resources, for around the workplace and at home.
For simple labels for around the home and staff breakroom (as pictured above) click here
For simple labels for around the home and work-space (as pictured above) click here
For simple labels featuring words of encouragement and praise (as pictured above) click here
Whakataūki - Māori Proverbs
Mā māhi kā ōra, (ko māhi ko ōra).
Work brings health (prosperity).
Mā pangō, mā wherō, kā ōti te māhi
Many hands make light work.
Nau te rourou, nāku te rourou kā ōra te manuhiri.
With your food basket and my food basket the guests will have enough.