Waipapa Taumata Rau / University of Auckland has set up a dedicated Reo Māori speaking space within their library to encourage the use of speaking Māori in public spaces.
The team leading the space says there are spaces to learn the language however this is a space to exercise the use of the language in a safe environment.
The new Reo Space at the University of Auckland Library is a dedicated space to encourage the use of the language outside of the classroom and is open to all levels of language proficiency.
Te Rarawa and Ngāti Porou descendant Abigail McClutchie says as a part of the team leading the project she is excited to see and hear the language across campus.
“Haere mai ki te kōrero Māori, parakatihi, kōrero. Ahakoa te iti o tō reo he wāhi pai tēnei māu.”
Come along and speak Māori, practice, speak it. No matter how little you know, this is a great place for you, she says.
This Reo Space is a part of the university’s wider language revitalisation strategy.
The space is also open to all learning stages, with coloured bands to represent where you are in your journey.
A student and support worker for Reo Space, Kākātārau Te Pou Kohere says the language should be spoken and not left in a book.
“Mā te noho rūmaki, mā te kōrero i te reo, mā te āta parakatihi, arā ka puta ai tērā te kaikōrero reo Māori.”
By sitting in a full-immersion environment, speaking the language and practising you will see a Māori speaker grow, he says.
At the beginning of the year, the University of Auckland were criticized by leaders of the coalition government for having dedicated Māori and Pasifika learning spaces.
However, McClutchie says this isn’t a response to those criticisms, more importantly it is for the survival of the language.
“Ko te kōrero Māori te kaupapa, ahakoa ko wai koe. ko Aotearoa tēnei, ko tō mātou reo rangatira, he reo tino ataahua. Kāore he rebuttle, mō te kaupapa tēnei. Ko te kaupapa rangatira, ko te reo.”
Speaking Māori is the objective, no matter who you are. This is Aotearoa and our language is a beautiful one. This isn’t a rebuttle but it’s for the cause. A chiefly cause, our language.