Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori 2024 theme announced
Tuesday, 13 August 2024
The theme for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2024 is Ake Ake Ake – A Forever Language.
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori will take place from September 14 to 21. The theme celebrates the resilience of te reo Māori in Aotearoa, for all New Zealanders to enjoy.
“Under enduring pressure, te reo Māori has shown it will adapt and survive,” says Ngahiwi Apanui-Barr, tumu whakahaere or chief executive at Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.
“Te reo Māori grows with our people, our culture and our environment.
Read this story in te reo Māori and English here. / Pānuitia_ tēnei i te reo Māori me te reo Pākehā ki konei._
“‘Ake ake ake’ means ‘everlasting’. It captures the endurance of te reo Māori and all those who are committed to it,” says Ngahiwi.
In World War II, the 28th Māori Battalion marched into Europe singing “Ake! Ake! Kia kaha e!” Today the phrase ends karakia and speeches with unity and solidarity, Ngahiwi says. “Wherever this uplifting expression appears, ‘Ake ake ake’ symbolises hope and resilience.”
The native ake ake tree is also known for its durability. It produces some of the strongest of all native woods and grows in some of the harshest climates. Its name reminds us of its endurance, Ngahiwi says, just like te reo Māori.
“We can think of te reo Māori as a seedling with potential. Raised with others, given care and effort, it can grow to give shelter for future generations.”
This year, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori is launching a catchy new waiata for Te Wiki, it will celebrate friends of te reo Māori in the business sector, host an open webinar with Canada’s first ever Commissioner for Indigenous Languages and the colourful parades are making a comeback in Wellington and Christchurch, the first since 2019.
“We had to move all our celebrations online over the last few years to keep ourselves safe during the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s great to get our reo back on the streets, schools, workplaces and sports sidelines. Let’s celebrate!”
All New Zealanders can show their support for te reo, Ngahiwi says, from displaying vibrant posters in their community, saying “Kia ora” to the bus driver, playing waiata Māori playlists in the cafe, joining a parade or hosting an event.
“It all helps to make te reo Maōri a living language.”