Progress towards a bilingual Kerikeri
A newly renamed strategy to make Kerikeri the first bilingual town in the Far North is making progress.
Te Rauora, which derives its name from 'The Revitalisation of language through education, respect and identity' was formerly known as Rautaki Reorua (Bilingual Strategy). It relates to an agreement between the council and Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Rēhia (the rūnanga) to develop more spaces, places and opportunities in Kerikeri where te reo Māori is seen, heard and celebrated alongside the English language.
During the last six months activities by the rūnanga have included: business-focused te reo Māori learning sessions with staff at the Turner Centre and residents at Arvida Te Puna Waiora; development of Aotearoa NZ Histories Curriculum school packages that support kura (schools) and educators to experience place-based learning through Te Ao Māori; community kapa haka classes; cultural education programmes; supporting Kerikeri businesses to use te reo Māori every day; and Te Amo Pūtoro the first council owned māra hūpara playground.
Future plans by the rūnanga to progress Te Rauora - The Revitalisation include:
- Bilingual signage, training sessions and promotional support
- A tiered bilingual business programme that includes signage, phrase guides and bilingual certification for participating businesses
- Rolling out sector-specific wānanga (business, tourism, education)
- Creating an online hub for te reo Māori business resources.
At council, a recognisable increase in the use of te reo Māori in council places and spaces, including the rebranding of the council name and logo, is part of this strategy. The establishment of Te Pae o Uta and Te Pae o Waho policies have been the main drivers for the normalising of te ao Māori within the council.
Te Pae o Uta gives council staff guidelines for improving the inclusivity of Te Ao Māori in all aspects of their work. You can watch our video about the policy to find out how it works in practice. Te Pae o Waho is a reo Māori and tikanga training programme for staff and contractors, with more than 173 staff enrolling in the programme so far.
The strategy was officially renamed Te Rauora - The Revitalisation, by Far North District Council during its Thursday 8 May meeting. Extensive collaboration was undertaken with Ngāti Rēhia and the wider community in deciding the new name, which was endorsed by the council’s Te Kuaka – Te Ao Māori Committee. There are no financial implications in endorsing this name change.
The bilingual strategy for Kerikeri is a Department of Internal Affairs initiative and has been rolled out to other centres including Ōtaki, Rotorua, Whakatāne and Whangārei.
Main photo – Ngāti Rēhia supporting kura and educators to experience place-based learning through te ao Māori at Te Ahurea, a unique Māori cultural and historical experience in Kororipo Heritage Park, Kerikeri Basin.