Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Manawa and Whakatāne District Council, supported by Aotearoa Reorua, will work in partnership to establish Murupara as the next official reorua/bilingual township in New Zealand.
Aotearoa Reorua is a national initiative that supports towns and cities across New Zealand to become bilingual centres. Language strategies for townships are developed by iwi partners and councils to help celebrate and promote te reo Māori alongside the English language.
Murupara Reorua acknowledges Ngāti Manawa as mana whenua of Murupara, and the importance of their language, protocols, genealogy and history. It also recognises the need to create an encouraging environment for the community to connect with te reo Māori so the language is seen, felt, spoken and heard every day in every way in Murupara.
Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Manawa Chair, Kani Edwards, says te reo has been part of the Ngāti Manawa DNA since times gone by.
“This is really an opportunity for Ngāti Manawa and the Whakatane District Council to work together, to strengthen te reo in our community.”
Whakatāne District Council Chief Executive, Steven Perdia, says the Murupara community already supports te reo Māori in a number of ways and making it official will ensure it continues to be fostered.
“By establishing Murupara Reorua, we’re ensuring that the reo lives and thrives in this part of our rohe/district,” Mr Perdia explains. “It will create opportunities for everyone in the community to learn and include te reo Māori in their daily routines.”
Murupara Reorua will be the catalyst for various initiatives and activities aimed at increasing te reo Māori awareness, understanding and more use of the language within Murupara. These efforts will include bilingual signage, information panels, digital storytelling, establishing reo Māori public spaces and offering language workshops.
Using Te Taura Whiri (Māori Language Commission) guidelines for language planning, Murupara Reorua will encourage all residents, community groups, businesses and organisations within the township to actively participate in this community initiative. Te Wiki o te Reo Māori/Māori Language Week 2024 is the ideal time to launch this initiative and start as it means to continue.
Aotearoa Reorua is led by the Department of Internal Affairs with support from Te Puni Kōkiri, Te Taura Whiri i te reo Māori and Te Mātāwai. For more information and to become a reorua/bilingual champion in Murupara, visit the Whakatāne District Council website. 