Make te reo Māori not only heard but seen in your wider workplace culture, events, and even signage.
Fostering āhurutanga (a safe space) not just for Māori but all previously discriminated or minority groups is crucial.
How do you increase the visibility of te reo Māori in your organisation without it feeling tokenistic?
Learn phrases for workplace signage, events, and acknowledgments.
Bilingual signage might seem tokenistic to some but is a great place to start with kupu and normalising work spaces.
Nau mai, haere mai = welcome
Pātai = enquiries and can also mean questions
Wāhi mahi = workplace
Wharekai = cafeteria, kitchen, food prep space
Rūma Hui = meeting room
Maramataka = calendar
Wharepaku = toilet
Karaka = clock
What might be useful here is to think of your wāhi mahi (workplace) and then identify the spaces you might want to tūā (name) and recognise.
Kei hea _______________? Where is _______________.
Kei hea te wharekai? Where is the kitchen?
| konei | by me |
| konā | by you |
| korā | over there, away from us both |
Kei korā te wharekai. The kitchen is over there.
Now look at your work maramataka (calendar or schedule) and perhaps identify important events that you can acknowledge. You can begin with nationally significant occasions like Waitangi Day and Matariki. Having Māori New Year as a designated holiday is special and there are many great resources out there to support the celebration. Geeting down rā whānau (birthdays) is always good for whanaungatanga.
A few shout-outs to finish! Use these to practice and refine your pronunciation.
He mahi tino pai tēnei!= This is great work!
Ka mutu pea ō whakaaro! = Love your input!
Hei āpōpō = Until tomorrow
Haere rā =Goodbye (to someone leaving)
E noho rā = Goodbye (to someone staying)
He aha te tāima? = What is the time?
Mā te wā = See you later, time will tell
What’s one action you can take to promote Te Reo Māori at work?
Whakamihi! Congrats. Continue learning and encourage others to use Te Reo Māori. You are on your way!