More resources!

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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

Caught without karakia!

This week I was caught out not knowing many karakia.

It’s pretty obvious when you’re the only male in a group of six that you don’t know the words. The lack of a low voice in the mix is pretty unmistakable.

So I did some searching and found a handy page on the University of Otago website. It has traditional karakia as well as Christian-influenced karakia, each with audio recordings, translations, and examples for kai and opening and closing hui.

Here’s the one I didn’t know: A traditional karakia for opening a hui.

Unuhia, unuhia

Unuhia ki te uru tapu nui

Kia wātea, kia māmā, te ngākau, te tinana, te wairua i te ara takatā

Koia rā e Rongo, whakairia ake ki runga

Kia tina! TINA! Hui e! TĀIKI E!

Draw on, draw on,

Draw on the supreme sacredness

To clear, to free the heart, the body and the spirit of mankind

Rongo, suspended high above us (i.e. in ‘heaven’)

Draw together! Affirm!

The Reo Project | Day 175

Opening karakia for a learning context

Yesterday I led a leadership development session. We opened our time together with this karakia:

He hōnore, he korōia ki te Atua

He maungārongo ki te whenua

He whakaaro pai ki ngā tāngata katoa

Hangaia e te Atua he ngākau hou

Ki roto, ki tēnā, ki tēnā o mātou

Whakatōngia tō wairua tapu

Hei āwhina, hei tohutohu i a mātou

Hei ako hoki i ngā mahi mō tēnei rā

Āmine

Honour and glory to God

Peace on Earth

Goodwill to all people

Lord, develop a new heart

Inside all of us

Instil in us your sacred spirit

Help us, guide us

In all the things we need to learn today.

Amen

The Reo Project | Day 162