Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori! Our Ako Mātātupu whānau are up to incredible things! Check out this incredible hīkoi to commence te wiki o te reo Māori: to celebrate, to raise awareness, and to normalise Te Reo Māori outside of the classroom or Marae. Over 2000 people stepped out, literally, in hīkoi whakanui to celebrate our nation’s language, te reo o tō tātou whenua, and our shared Aotearoatanga.

This kaupapa, organised by some of our incredible Cohort 2018 programme participants and Whangārei Girls’ High School, facilitated Māori student leadership through community engagement. “All reo Māori students took part in all aspects of its running. We had girls leading at the front of the hīkoi, we had students working with traffic management, we had our senior girls cooking and serving kai on the day. In te ao Māori, there are many styles of leadership, and everyone plays a part in running any kaupapa. If we work together we can achieve together.” Watch the full video (featured on Te Ao Māori News) here. Mā tātou katoa te reo Māori e whakarauora.