It’s time to reflect on our mahi with promoting te reo Māori in Excel Digital
It’s been six months since we commenced our Mahere Reo. We’ve accomplished a lot during this time, and we’re proud of how the staff at Excel Digital stepped up to the challenge.
Before we commenced the project, we surveyed people’s knowledge of te reo Māori. Apart from some basic understanding, no one in the company was confident speaking te reo or understanding tikanga. We were truly starting from the very bottom of the maunga.
There have been numerous highlights. We are especially proud that over 80% of our staff attended te reo workshops. Stepping outside your comfort zone once a week for eight weeks to learn a new language is a big ask, and we’re delighted with how people embraced the challenge.
Another highlight was the hangi early on in our journey. On a cold, wet winter’s day, we had a hangi lunch delivered from CJ’s Hangi, and all the staff sat and ate together. It was the perfect opportunity to turn off the presses and sit and have a kōrero with our colleagues.
We acknowledge the support from our kaiako, Whetu Rangihaeata. Whetu is a fantastic teacher and has been extremely understanding and patient with us as we stumbled through unfamiliar words. We also appreciate the assistance we’ve had from Te Taura Whiri I Te Reo Māori (The Māori Language Commission). It is reassuring having Te Taura Whiri guide us in developing and rolling out our Mahere Reo.
Click here if you would like to read our full report on the first six months of our te reo journey.
