Part of my focus this year on Te Reo Māori has been to “māorify” my wider life (note: “māorify” is a term I’ve stolen from my kaiako).
I chose the things that I already do, that I enjoy doing, and that I can actually change.
If you’re into Venn diagrams, this picture might make sense to you.
If that wasn’t any help, here’s an example
Reading
I love reading. It’s one of my favourite things to do, and I’ve developed an approach over the years that suits me. Which is this:
I read no more than three books at a time.
One of the books is a novel, or some form of creative writing, or story. Usually, this is a Science Fiction novel but I’m looking to broaden my reading...
One of the books is a learning book. Something non-fiction that I’m having to actively engage my brain in. In the past, this would have been a book like Doughnut Economics or one of the BWB Texts.
And the final book can be anything I want. It’s usually something that helps me learn about people. Usually pop psychology and frequently something by Seth Godin.
Reading is something that I like to do, that I have a system for already, and that I is entirely in my control (i.e. what I read doesn’t rely on anyone else, or affect anyone else).
So I māorified it.
This year, at least two of my books this year have to be related to this Reo Project. So far, this has meant that I have chosen to read:
The Parihaka Woman instead of Ender’s Game.
New Zealand History (including one on forty years of Māori protest) instead of business strategy books.
Te Reo Māori teaching books like Hemi Kelly’s A Māori Phrase a Day and my favourite, Te Kākano.
If you’re thinking about doing this yourself but aren’t sure where to start, here’s some suggestions
Start with stories. They’re more engaging to read and introduce you to lots of the background cultural context. They might be true stories, like biographies, or Parihaka Woman, or you could just start with picture books telling the Māori “Myths and Legends”
Illustrated history books are awesome! They’re also shorter than they look because of all the pictures.
If your Reo is up to it, try Te Reo Māori graphic novels.
Read some history.
And finally, if you’re looking for a reading list, you could try this Spinoff article from 2016 listing the top 50 books by Māori authors.
The Reo Project } Day 247