Message from the Equity president
E ngā manu wheko ata, tēnā koutou katoa
E kore e mutu aku mihi ki a koutou nā runga anō i te kaupapa o tēnei wiki whakahirahira, arā Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. Anei he wero mā koutou - ki te paku mōhio koe ki te kupu Māori, tēna, whiua atu ki te ao, ahakoa kei whea koe, kia rangona ai tēnei reo taketake, tēnei mea ātaahua o te motu nei.
Tino harikoa taku ngākau ki te rongo ētahi o koutou e
kōrero ana i te reo ahakoa he “kia ora” he “atamārie” noa iho. Mā te aha i tēnā! Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu.
Nō reira, e hoa mā, kia pai te wiki nei. Tērā pea ka whai wāhi koutou ki ētahi o te mahi a te kaupapa o te wā.
Me maumahara, mā te kōrero e whakaora te reo. Anei he tūhono hei āwhina i a koutou http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/
(seen above with Equity member George Henare performing Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 for Mana magazine)
Dear Actors (or literally, this kupu whakarite or metaphor means "great speakers or singers”),
Greetings to you all on this very special week, the Māori Language Week. Here’s a challenge for you - if you know just a little te reo Māori, send it out, wherever you are, so that this beautiful first language of our country can be heard. Whether it is just a “hi’ or “thanks” (kia ora) or “good morning”(ata mārie), it’s a precious thing.
Hope you have a good week, and maybe get the opportunity to take part in some of the many cool things happening over the next 7 days to celebrate the language. By speaking it, it lives. Here’s a link to Te Taura Whiri with some great resources. http://www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/
Hei konā i roto i aku mihi o te rā
Nāku noa
Nā
Jennifer Ward-Lealand
Equity New Zealand President