Kete Āwhina Pakihi | Business Toolkit 

Mauri ora! 

The Rotorua Reorua Business Toolkit is a free online resource.

Developed by Te Tatau o Te Arawa thanks to feedback from businesses in the Rotorua CBD, it aims to provide convenient opportunities for you to access useful information to help you on your te reo Māori learning journey.

Below is a quick guide and short descriptions about the Business Toolkit that recommends businesses encourage their staff and management to do.

1. Do an online course

Complete a free online short course that focuses on: 

  • Pronunciation

  • Salutations

  • Basic te reo Māori activities; and 

  • Useful kupu (words) for work

2. Learn our history

Learn about the history of Rotorua including: 

  • The township's founding agreement

  • The stories behind some of our local street names 

  • Ngāti Whakaue chief Pūkākī who's depicted on the country's 20c coin 

3. Understand the reo Māori revitalisation journey

Before 1840, the Māori language was the country's prominent language. However, by 1985 the language was close to extinction with fewer than 50,000 Māori being able to speak the language. This resource allows us to look back on the timeline of the revitalisation of te reo Māori. 

4. Kia ora! Hello!

We'll get familiar with sayings that we can use in writing or verbally in our daily and office lives.

You can also access this ‘Shop Talk’ guide by downloading it HERE.

5. A guide to bilingual signage

An in-depth bilingual signage guide that you can download to help you consider using in your domain. 

6. Māori language planning

Now you're on your reorua journey, you can consider adopting and developing a Māori language plan that suits you. This hātepe (step) looks at: 

Mihimihi | Acknowledgements

The Rotorua Reorua Kete Āwhina Pakihi resource is possible thanks to the following organisations: 

  • Massey University: Toro Mai, a two part introductory course about te reo Māori and tikanga Māori

  • Ngā Pūmanawa e Waru Education Trust: Te Arawa Stories Digital Storehouse

  • Te Taura Whiri i te reo Māori (Māori Language Commission): Te reo Māori timeline, Salutations and Māori Language Planning resources 

  • Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry of Māori Development): Bilingual Signage Guide

Click on the button below to access the downloadable version of the toolkit to help you on your reorua journey. 

Ngā hātepe o te Kete Āwhina Pakihi | Business Toolkit Steps

Click on the pictures below to access the key information in each step

Kōrero whakamārama  About Rotorua Reorua 

Rotorua Reorua was launched in August 2017 by Rotorua Lakes Council, Te Tatau o Te Arawa with support from Te Puni Kōkiri. 

Te Tatau o Te Arawa acknowledges the Department of Internal Affairs' programme, Aotearoa Reorua, which has enabled us to develop the Kete Āwhina Pakihi for our community. The resource has also been offered to other bilingual centres that have onboarded the Aotearoa Reorua programme, and are advancing initiatives so te reo Māori is seen, heard and celebrated alongside the English language. 

We also mihi to Te Mātāwai which has enabled us to promote this resource to local Rotorua businesses to become Rotorua Reorua champions who are giving te reo Māori a go and sharing their learnings with people they meet and interact with.