Day: 24 August 2018

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week 2018

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This year Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) is on from 10 to 16 Mahuru (September).

The theme for this year’s Māori Language Week is –

Kia kaha te reo Māori – Let’s make the Māori language strong

Join in with Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi (Christchurch City Libraries) and our efforts to strengthen te reo Māori.

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori events at the library

We’ll be celebrating Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori with a range of events taking place during te wiki.

For kids/whānau

During te wiki our normal Wā Kōrero (Storytime) sessions for preschoolers will have added stories and songs in te reo Māori.

We’ll be having a couple of Ngā Pakiwaitara (bilingual storytimes) sessions with even more te reo, delivered by Whaea Rochelle from our Ngā Ratonga Māori team.

And our wharewhare (housie) event at Linwood Library, 3.30-4.30pm Thursday 13 September is perfect for the whole whānau to join in with.

Whaea Rochelle is the star of bilingual storytimes during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

Kapa haka

If you enjoy some waiata (and why wouldn’t you?) head along to one of the kapa haka performances by local tamariki that we’ll be hosting during the week.

Court Theatre in the Shelves

As part of New Zealand Theatre Month, during September actors from the Court Theatre will read extracts from their favourite Kiwi plays – including a very special Māori Language Week performance which will take place on Thursday, 13 September at Upper Riccarton Library at 10.30am, and at South Library at 3.30pm.

After their readings, the performers will tell you why they’re drawn to the piece they perform, what it is to be a theatre practitioner in this country and answer any questions you might have. So, come along to see the best Kiwi theatre amongst the shelves at your local library.

Te Reo Māori at the library

Adding te reo Māori to your library experience can be as straightforward as the tap of a screen – why not simply try out the reo Māori option on our māu e tuku (self issue) machines?

Using māu e tuku/self issue
There are a variety of language options on our self-issue machines including Te Reo Māori.

Or learn a new kupu (word) by reading our bilingual library signs or even just learn to say the Māori name of your local library.

Practise your reo at a library café

Order your drink of choice in te reo Māori at any of the cafés in our libraries (South, Upper Riccarton and Te Hāpua: Halswell Centre) or at The Kitchen café on the first floor of the Christchurch City Council building on Hereford Street and from 10-16 September you’ll get an extra sweet treat to go with your drink. Need help with how to place your cafe order in te reo? Te Taura Whiri o Te Reo Māori (The Māori Language Commission) has produced this fantastic guide to awhi you.

Find Te Reo Māori resources at the library

Cover of Māori at home

There are many resources available for anyone wanting to strengthen their te reo Māori knowledge, for both adults and children.

In our catalogue

We’ve also made lists of modern classic picture books in Te Reo Māori and Māori stories for older children.

Some other places you might like to try include:

If you know of other resources, events or initiatives in Ōtautahi to help people celebrate Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, please feel free to let us know about them in the comments below.

Quick Questions with Catherine Robertson – WORD Christchurch

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CoverWe are asking quick questions of writers and thinkers coming to the WORD Christchurch Festival 2018 (Wednesday 29 August to Sunday 2 September).

Catherine Robertson’s five novels have all been No. 1 New Zealand best-sellers. She reviews fiction for the New Zealand Listener and is a regular guest on RNZ. She has appeared at and chaired sessions for several writers festivals.

Catherine Robertson. Photo credit: Russell Kleyn

What are you looking forward to doing in Christchurch?

Visiting the art gallery again. My art collection started with postcards from the gift shop.

What do you think about libraries?

Libraries are a bastion against ignorance and a gateway to learning, inspiration and joy. They’re the most powerful places on earth.

What would be your desert island book?

Roget’s Thesaurus, because I can create infinite stories from its contents.

Share a surprising fact about yourself.

I can recite several AA Milne poems, including The Knight Whose Armour Didn’t Squeak.

Catherine Robertson’s sessions at WORD Christchurch Festival 2018

High tea and tales with Nicky Pellegrino Thursday 30 August 2pm

Motherhood Saturday 1 September 11.30am

Let Love in Saturday 1 September 2.30pm

Knowlescourt, 274 Papanui Road, 4 March 2011, north facade: Picturing Canterbury

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Knowlescourt, 274 Papanui Road, 4 March 2011. Kete Christchurch. Knowlescourt__274_Papanui_Road__4_March_2011___north_facade. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 New Zealand License.

The former house at 274 Papanui Road, known  as “Knowles Court” was built in 1910 for Christchurch solicitor, Thomas Gregory Russell and his wife Doris. It was designed in the Arts and Crafts architectural style by John James Collins of the firm Armson, Collins and Harman. The interior of the house was later converted into flats. Although a heritage listed building, having sustained damage during the Canterbury earthquakes, the house was demolished in 2011.

Do you have any photographs of 274 Papanui Road? If so, feel free to contribute to our collection.

Kete Christchurch is a collection of photographs and stories about Christchurch and Canterbury, past and present. Anyone can join and contribute.