Te 20 o nga ra o Hongongoi / 20 July 2006

Maori Language Week focus from sport to tourism

Sport is the focus of this year’s Maori Language Week activities and was kicked off today at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington.

Overall promotion of the week is again being coordinated by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori (the Maori Language Commission), Te Puni Kokiri and Te Kahui Tika Tangata (the Human Rights Commission). 

“Ihi Aotearoa SPARC are also involved this year and are encouraging sporting organisations to use the sports booklets of Maori phrases developed as part of the wider campaign and to enter the new Maori Language Week sports award,” says Ihi Aotearoa SPARC Push Play Manager Deb Hurdle. 

“Sport is the theme this year and next year it will be tourism says Maori Language Commission Chief Executive Haami Piripi  

“Sport is a natural domain for speaking Maori and we want to encourage the hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders who participate in sports, fitness and other healthy activities to speak Maori while they’re doing it,” says Mr Piripi. 

 “The All Black test on Saturday offers a great chance to try out some of the words and phrases from the book like: stand in black (kia tu pango mai), taka whakamua (knock on), pae whiu (sin bin) and rutu (tackle),” says Mr Piripi.  

“Tourism is another area with high Maori participation, and Maori language and culture is one of the main reasons tourists come to Aotearoa,” says Mr Piripi.

Scrum forms for Maori Language Week at Westpac Stadium

Tourism Minister Damien O’Connor puts the ball in to the Maori Language Week scrum with the call, “hei aha te kaiwawao - never mind the ref”, (from left) Te Puni Kokiri Chief Executive Leith Comer, Australian Race Discrimination Commissioner Tom Calma (second rower), Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres and Associate Tourism Minister Dover Samuels give a “kia kaha” heave over the ball. Ihi Aotearoa SPARC Push Play Manager Deb Hurdle waits at the back of the scrum (obscured from view) to “maka te poro- pass the ball” to Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori – Maori Language Commission Chief Executive Haami Piripi (right) 

The Maori language phrase booklet on sport and and t-shirts can be ordered via www.nzreo.org.nz  

Photographer: Adrian Heke 

For further information:

Lana Simmons-Donaldson
lana@tetaurawhiri.govt.nz
04 4716 724