The History
Mahuru Māori is a reo challenge that came about as a personal social experiment by Paraone Gloyne in 2014 as a way of broadcasting te reo, and normalising it in every day dealings. The challenge is to consciously use as much te reo Māori as you can during Mahuru. Regardless of whom you speak to, where you speak it, and when you speak it – you’ll speak only in te reo Māori.
What is Mahuru Māori?
Mahuru Māori is a great opportunity for everyone to speak te reo Māori. It doesn’t matter what your current level of Māori language may be, we encourage you to take up the challenge!
You’re fully in charge! Set your goals and intentions at the start of the month to a level you know is realistic for you. This could be in a number of different ways:
- greeting everyone in te reo Māori
- speaking only te reo for an hour a day
- speaking te reo for 2 hours a day every day
- speaking te reo for half the day every day
- speaking te reo every day for the whole month
We know for many participants it will take a conscious effort to stick to your reo Māori goals. But we hope you’re encouraged that you’re not alone in this challenge and together we all help to normalise the use of te reo Māori within our many communities. Kia kaha!
You can help contribute to the success of Mahuru Māori and the revitalisation of the Māori language. Simply:
- Share what you know with others
- Take te reo Māori to your workplace and communities
- Encourage others to use and learn te reo Māori
- Pronounce Māori words correctly
- Learn a little, use a little. Learn more, and use what you know
- Keep improving your language capabilities
- Encourage your friends and family to join you
Get ready now! Register your participation in this year’s Mahuru Māori today. We’ll keep you updated with learning resources, Māori language events and supportive content to keep you on track to achieve your Māori language goal.
Guiding words
- Be kind and represent te ao Māori in a positive approachable manner
- If you feel people are getting frustrated be calm and don’t react
- Look after our reo, look after our kaupapa
- If you are in a position where you must speak English, then by all means, speak English
