Te Wiki o te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori 14-20 o Hepetema - Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is on from Monday 14th September to Sunday 20th September 2026. Under the theme Ake, Ake, Ake – A Forever Language, the 2026 focus is Te Reo Towns - a celebration of the communities who have kept te reo Māori alive, and an invitation for all of Aotearoa to help it flourish into the future.
Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori events at libraries
Featured
Kawhe Reo ki Tūranga
Kawhe Reo ki Matatiki
Kiriata Huna - 'Mystery' Movie
Te wiki events at libraries
Tūhia mai tō whare colouring competition
Māori & Multicultural Library Services invites you to be part of our Te Wiki o te Reo Māori colouring competition.
Are you our next top whare designer? Colour and design a whare. Winners will have their design colour printed onto a mini-whare.
To enter:
- There are four age categories: 2–5 years, 6–11 years, 11–17 years, and 18+
- Entries must be submitted by Wednesday 30 September 2026 at any Christchurch City Library
- One entry per person
- Once you’ve finished colouring in, complete the your entry details and give to a staff member at any of our libraries.
- You may take the entry form home to work on it but it must be given to a library staff member before or on Wednesday 30 September 2026
- One winner from each age category will be selected and notified by phone
- All winning entries and runners up will be displayed on the Christchurch City Libraries webpage
- No correspondence will be entered into
Download the entry form
Create your design and fill out your details on the entry form [332KB PDF]
Prize-winners from 2024 competition
Resources
Have fun learning te reo Māori with Languagenut
Printable resources
Mihi box
Kaupapa Māori activity book
Beginners kete to learning basic Māori
In the catalogue
Te reo Māori
Bilingual Story Cards
Ignite imagination and improve literacy with our bilingual story cards for tamariki.
Each card in the pack has an image and the word in te reo Māori and English. What a great way to learn and practise your te Reo! Players use their cards to create a story together.
Play alone or with a group of any size. Work together to support players who feel less confident. There’s no winner, and there’s no right or wrong!
This game celebrates creativity and improvisation – all ideas are welcome. Find out more.
Story cards are available at libraries for $19.
Booklists
Booklists
Te reo Māori reading for adults
Reo Māori modern classic picture books
Gavin Bishop in Te Reo Māori
Te reo Māori reading for adults
Reo Māori modern classic picture books
Gavin Bishop in Te Reo Māori
Ngā Kōrero Auaha: Customer Stories
Te reo Māori at the library
Te reo Māori at the library
Bilingual signage at Christchurch City Libraries
Māori library names
Issue books in te reo Māori
All our libraries have self checkout machines with a te reo Māori option.
During Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, all māu e tuku (self issue machines) will have Māori as their default language.
More Te Reo Māori resources
Māori Language Week – Te Wiki o te Reo Māori
A history of Māori Language Week – Te Wiki o te Reo Māori from nzhistory.
100 Māori words every New Zealander should know
This useful resource includes sound files of the words being read out from nzhistory.
Flickr gallery of Māori Language Week at Libraries
Photos: Te wiki o te reo Māori in libraries
About Te Wiki o te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week has been celebrated in New Zealand since 1975. It acknowledges and celebrates the Māori language as a unique cultural treasure for all New Zealanders.
Te reo Māori has its origins in East Polynesia. The language is closely related to Tahitian and Cook Islands Māori and to a lesser degree to Hawaiian and Marquesan. In recent years, the use of te reo Māori has become more prevalent and people are working hard to ensure the language is rejuvenated and preserved for future generations.
Each year Te Taura Whiri i te reo Māori (Māori Language Commission) sets a theme for the week, and a range of activities, promotions, and events encouraging the use of te reo Māori take place around the country.