SPASIFIK helps you celebrate Maori language week again this year from July 26 through to August 1.
Celebrated since 1975, te wiki o te reo Maori is a government-sponsored initiative to encourage kiwis to learn and support the Maori language.
In 2010, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori (The Maori Language Commission) want to continue the focus for language promotion on activities and initiatives in communities. They have decided on a food theme for this year, Te Mahi Kai – The Language of Food
“It is universally acknowledged that food as a culture and all the customs around it creates its own sense of community. It’s an appropriate means for disseminating a message about language therefore, and certainly from a Maori point of view, our own food culture, more particularly food gathering and preparation is a very central part of our identity,” says the commission.
“We encourage a very liberal interpretation of the theme for this year because te mahi kai means not just partaking in a meal, but includes all the activity undertaken to create that meal, traditional as well as contemporary.
“This can include hunting, diving, fishing, foraging, as well as shopping, through to food preparation in the kitchen. The language contained within just these activities alone is extensive, and provides a rich base for people and organisations to develop what we hope will be original and innovative Maori language initiatives and projects across the community.”
SPASI FIK and SPASI FIK mag.com are supporting Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori with a special web page dedicated to learning more Maori language. You will learn all the Maori words for your favourite kai and how to have a conversation with friends and whanau about gathering, preparing and eating kai.
Here, we also share some kupu (words) for you to try at home, and a yummy recipe!
