Te Wiki o te reo Māori at the Faculty of Education was a great success, especially with the faculty’s own ‘Ngä Putiputi o Maungawhau’ team winning the University of Auckland Inaugural Reo Challenge.
Twenty teams from the University battled it out at Waipapa Marae in trivial pursuit, fear factor, and general knowledge - all in te reo Māori. This was a great way to practice te reo in a friendly and supportive environment and was the culmination of a week of activities at the Faculty of Education that included line dancing to Waiata in Mäori, a tötiti hunuhunu or sausage sizzle, and te reo Kori or Jazzercise.
Joint Head of School of the Faculty of Education’s Te Puna Wānanga, Hemi Dale, says the faculty’s three team’s performed exceptionally well, especially the winning team who were from Puna Köhungahunga - the on-site te reo Māori preschool.
"They were outstanding with a reo and mātauranga Māori general knowledge that was unsurpassed on the night," says Hemi. "Our second team ‘’Ngā Hau e Whā’ also won one of the rounds, no doubt due to their superhuman efforts in demolishing in double quick time, two dry weet-bixes, a cup of kümerahou, and sheep livers in the Matuku-Fear Factor round."
The event was initiated by Pro-Vice Chancellor-Māori, Jim Peters, and organised by Kahu Tibble and Dennis Ngäwhare. Dennis, who is Recruitment Advisor-Maori for the Faculty of Education, was the night’s quizmaster.
