How to start learning the Forever Language

The kaupapa (theme) for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 2024 is ‘Ake ake ake – a forever language’.  Ake ake ake means ‘forever and ever’ or ‘everlasting’ and represents the endurance of te reo Māori and the resilience of its speakers.  

‘Ake ake ake’ also refers to the native ake ake tree, known for its strength and ability to thrive in harsh conditions. Just as trees grow stronger when planted together, te reo Māori flourishes when supported and nurtured by communities. 

Te reo Māori has been an official language of New Zealand since 1987, with Te Wiki o te Reo Māori being celebrated in New Zealand since 1975. 

This year marks 52 years since the delivery of Te Petihana Reo Māori (the Māori Language Petition) to Parliament on 14 September 1972, an event that laid the groundwork for the revitalisation of te reo Māori in Aotearoa. 

We have a bunch of resources to help you learn new phrases and share the beauty of te reo Māori.  

Tukuna te reo kia Māori! Show your love for te reo! 

Download Mahau – a reo Māori app

Give te reo Māori a go any day and anywhere with Mahau, a free and interactive app designed to help residents and visitors in Wellington speak and understand te reo Māori. 

The app helps you with te reo words and pronunciation of everyday phrases and sentences, as well as Wellington destinations and place names.  

Mahau also helps you to build your pepeha / mihimihi and provides examples of karakia and waiata. 

The Mahau app was developed by the Council alongside our Tākai Here partners Te Āti Awa, Taranaki Whānui, and Ngāti Toa Rangatira to help us reach our goal to become a bilingual capital city by 2040. 

Download Mahau from Google Play or iTunes to celebrate, encourage and share te reo Māori. 

Borrow a Te Reo Kete from our Libraries

Our libraries offer free Te Reo Kete, which provide resources for you and your whānau to help you bring your te reo and tikanga Māori journey together. 

Each kete consists of:  

• ⁠5 x books to help to you start learning te reo words and grammar 
• 2 x books that introduce you to the concept of tikanga 
• 3 x bilingual picture books 
• 1 x kēmu/card game 

The kete are free to borrow for a six-week period from Waitohi (Johnsonville), Te Māhanga (Karori), Te Awa-a-Taia (Ruth Gotlieb in Kilbirnie), Ngā Puna Waiora (Newtown), Te Takapū o Patukawenga (Mervyn Kemp Tawa) and Te Awe (in the CBD) 

These kete are an awesome supplement to the collection of books about reo Māori and Tikanga in the library collection. You can find out more about these kete on the Wellington City Libraries website.  

Immerse yourself in Te Wiki o te Reo Māori events! 

There are a bunch of awesome events happening between 14 – 21 September, and they are an amazing way to immerse yourself in te reo, and tikanga Māori. 

Getting amongst others celebrating te reo is a great way to appreciate and pick up on the language. From Kapa Haka to te reo screenings of Disney’s Frozen, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and show your love for te reo. 

You can find the list of events on our website.