Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland, has launched a dedicated space to speak te reo Māori on its campus.
ReoSpace was created to reflect the need for public spaces where te reo Māori is the primary language spoken.
The new wāhi in the university’s main library launches on July 17, where students and staff will be able to speak solely in te reo Māori.
The space welcomes all levels of te reo Māori speakers and is part of the university’s strategy for the revitalisation of the language.
The concept of ReoSpace was gifted to Te Tumu Herenga, the university’s libraries, by Kewana Duncan (Ngāti Tara, Tokanui), an alumnus of Te Wānanga Reo Rūmaki movement, which was hosted at Waipapa Taumata Rau, University of Auckland in the 1990s.
ReoSpace is led by a team that includes Te Tumu Herenga, Library and Learning Services, Kaiārahi and PhD researcher, Abigail McClutchie (Te Rarawa, Ngāti Porou).
“ReoSpace acknowledges that in the revitalisation of te reo, we have places to learn te reo, but, until now, we haven’t had dedicated places to practise it,” McClutchie says.
“All levels of spoken (te) reo are welcome, and it is presumed that when we enter the space, we are willing to engage in a reo Māori conversation no matter what our skill level.”
The space will have four manu to illustrate the speaker’s level - a kiwi for beginner, pīwaiwaka for casual, tūī for conversational and kāhu for fluent.
“The vision for the space is framed by our Ahi-kā Action Plan. Ahi meaning fire or flame, and kā is the endurance of that fire or flame,” says McClutchie.
“Ahi-kā, within this context, are the people who play the key role of ‘keeping the home fires burning’... Volunteers will share the responsibility of sustaining ahi-kā for the space, welcoming and warming it for others.”
This supports the university’s language plan for the 2020-2025 revitalisation of te reo Māori as well as the Crown’s nationwide strategy.
McClutchie says it takes time to feel confident in speaking te reo Māori and it requires a lot of support and encouragement. She encourages other universities to make a stand for te reo Māori and implement their own ReoSpace too.
“Being at a university, there are places to learn te reo, but not a place to practise te reo, especially without the pressure to get it right. There’s grace here to make mistakes, listen, and keep going,” she says.
Michael Steedman, Kaiarataki in the office of the Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori, congratulates the efforts and hard work of Te Tumu Herenga for bringing ReoSpace to fruition.
“We’ve been encouraged and excited by the ongoing support the University’s te reo revitalisation plan has from our community over the years,” he says.
Sue Roberts, director of Te Tumu Herenga, says, “We can’t think of anything better than people practising te reo in a relaxed and friendly environment, making connections with each other and cherishing the taonga of te reo.”
ReoSpace will be open during normal library hours - between midday and 2pm Tuesday to Thursday during semester time. Kaiāwhina lunch sessions available to encourage the use of the Māori language through activities and games.