Language Trainers Blog

Maori TV are to re-launch a dedicated 100% te reo Maori channel, which is called Te Reo. From Monday 16 April, the channel’s weekday broadcast hours will be begin at 4.30pm, rather than 7pm, as it is at the moment. Te Reo’s weekend broadcast schedule will run from 7.00pm to 11.00pm.

The channel will primarily contain programming for children.

Korero Mai was the main language teaching programme to be aired on Maori TV, but the channel will be launching a new live daily Maori language show.

Te Reo is available only on digital and can be accessed via Freeview Satellite channel 24 and SKY channel 59.

New Zealand’s Maori Language Week will be celebrating its’ 25th anniversary this year with the theme of Arohatia te Reo (cherish the language.) The celebration will be held from 23-29th July.

The Maori Language Commission’s Chief Executive, Glenis Philip-Barbara, said “whether you’re a priest, a business executive, a Mum, a student or a fire-fighter, or anything else for that matter – you’ll be able to identify with this theme and find a way to express your love for the language.”

The theme of 2011 was hospitality, which was apt as the country hosted the Rugby World Cup.

School principal Patrick Tangaere recently wrote a cheque as payment to a McDonalds in Gisborne, New Zealand. What’s special about that, I hear you cry. Well, the cheque was written in te reo Maori, and was queried by restaurant manager Leah Hepi.

Mr Tangaere’s argument was that Maori is an official language of New Zealand, and as such, cheques written in Maori should be accepted as legal tender.

Ms Hepi’s response was that she had never come across a cheque written in Maori before, so had it authenticated by the bank over the phone.

Read the whole story here.

Whilst I can see both sides of the story here, it does raise a few issues. (Aside from the school principal taking pupils to eat at McDonalds on a school trip)

As Maori is a national language, and whilst cheques are still legal tender, all retailers must be made aware that they may come across tender in Maori as well as English. However, as cheques are no longer a regular form of payment, could the issue have been avoided altogether?

This years’ Maori Language Awards ceremony was held on Friday night at the Energy and Events Centre in Rotorua.

27 finalists were shortlisted to compete for awards in 12 categories, including education, government and broadcasting. Each finalist had to incorporate the theme of manaakitanga (hospitality) into their respective entries.

Reo advocate Dr. Te Huirangi Waikerepuru was awarded the Supreme Award, Taku Toa Takimano; the award to recognise an individual’s contribution to the language. Dr. Waikerepuru is renowned for his campaign to ensure the survival of te reo Maori.

Other winners included the Department of Corrections, for helping contribute to the regeneration of the language in the prison system.