Nelson celebrates Te Wiki o te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week runs from 14-20 September and to celebrate, there are various things happening in Nelson.

Nelson City Council is a proud supporter of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori and we encourage everyone in our organisation to give te reo a go. 

During the week we are sharing videos of our Mayor Rachel Reese and a selection of councillors reciting their mihimihi or pepeha on the Nelson City Council Facebook page.

Haere mai ki Whakatū

Last year, the “Welcome to Nelson” sign on SH6 in Atawhai was changed to “Haere mai ki Whakatū” for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori- Māori Language Week.

Since we received so much positive feedback from the community, we decided to reinstall it for Māori Language Week this year, and we’ve added another sign at our southern border on Whakatū Drive.

Keep an eye out for them when you are out on the road.

Light art projection of whakataukī (proverbs)

The Nelson City Council’s Clock Tower is being transformed, to celebrate this year’s Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori.

Images of whakataukī (proverbs) will be projected onto Civic House from 17-19 September between 6:45pm-8:30pm each night.

If you are in the city centre, come along and take a look as part of this week’s celebration of Māori Language Week.

Te Reo educational art display

Nelson City Council has been working with MakeShift Spaces to create an educational art display for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori which can be found at Wakatū House ground floor, 28 Montgomery Square in Nelson.

The art is designed to teach the community how to pronounce the local street names and their meaning. Head along and take a look at the art displayed in the Wakatū House windows this week.

Tohu Whenua video – Waimarama and Aratuna

Inspired by last year’s Tohu Whenua (sites and landmarks of significance) video series, we have created this new video to celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week on the Nelson City Council Facebook page. 

Check out the video to learn more about Waimarama and Kaituna, also known as Aratuna or Queens Gardens. 

Our region is rich in history, learn more about the meaning behind the name, and discover the fascinating story of Tohu Whenua and how to pronounce this place name.