Hub’s aim to make learning te reo Maori non-intimidating

Posted: Friday Sep 18, 2020

Toitu Otago Settlers Museum visitor programmes co-ordinator Phoebe Thompson sits in a language hub that has been set up at the museum for the length of Te Wiki o te Reo Maori — Maori Language Week.

Visitors could move through seven activity stations aimed at helping people to make steps towards learning te reo, or build on their existing knowledge, she said.

The hub allowed people to create their own pepeha, which is a way of introducing oneself in Maori, telling a story of the places and people the person was connected to.

The self-led interactive activities included footage of the Kotahi Mano Kaika, Kotahi Mano Wawata’s waiata group performing; people from the Dunedin community presenting their own pepeha; a kimi kupu (word find); and a rakahau pepeha (pepeha research) station.

The aim was to create a non-intimidating environment to learn, Ms Thompson said.

People of all ages, both originally from New Zealand and from overseas, had taken part so far.

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/hub%E2%80%99s-aim-make-learning-te-reo-maori-non-intimidating