3 ways to keep te reo Māori strong, KIA KAHA

Māori language week has been and gone for another year but this year felt different. There was more energy and I wanted to look at how to keep up the energy and momentum for te reo Māori for myself and other teachers. I connected to the theme kia kaha strongly and this is what sparked my intent.

I started with reflection and connection using this whakatauki.

I am fortunate to have a cultural advisor and friend who in generous with her time and knowledge. She shared a process with me a long time ago to gain a deeper level of understanding of a kupu. The process is to deconstruct and reconstruct the kupu and I use it often for māramatanga in te Ao Māori. If I get the chance I then discuss my understanding and in the process gain much more in the sharing. Here is the process and my deconstruction and reconstruction of kia kaha: