Today while searching for kīwaha I stumbled across the Kotahi Mano Kāika website, a local language revitalisation initiative. Their resources page has word lists, books, phrases, and even labels!

I also found a starting karakia:

KARAKIA MŌ TE TĪMATAKA

Tukua taku wairua kia rere ki kā taumata

Hai ārahi i āku mahi

Me taku whai i te reo Māori

Kia mau, kia ita

Kia kore ai e karo

Kia pūpuri

Kia whakamaua

Kia tina!

TINA!

Haumi e!

Hui e!

TAIKI E!

This is translated in English as:

Let my spirit ascend to the top most summits

As a guide for all that I do

And in my aspirations for Te Reo Māori

So that it can be retained forever more

Never to be lost

So that it is preserved

And maintained

So that it is secure

The Reo Project | Day 194

Welcome to my little corner of the internet.

I believe that place matters.

Our connection to whatever little corner of the planet we find ourselves in, or choose to place ourselves on, matters.

I'm relentlessly curious and continually learning.

My interests are scattered across topics including property, strategy, acoustics, psychology, theology, systems theory, quantum physics and leadership. I read, listen, watch, and learn about whatever grabs my attention in the moment.

This is a learning experiment.

I come here to try to make sense of something I’ve come across, by writing about it.

I’m immersing myself in a new language.

I’m learning to speak Te Reo Māori, the language of the indigenous people of Aotearoa New Zealand and one of our official languages. After spending 2020 studying, I’m figuring out how to keep the journey going outside the classroom.

You’re welcome to follow along.