Toitū te Kura

Toitū te Kura has continued to provide funding assistance to Ngāi Tahu individuals and community groups to support their reo Māori activities via the Kā Manukura and Kāika Reo funds. More than 30 applications have been supported across both funds including: funding for Panekiretanga participants, and the establishment of Puna Reo groups where whānau who are attempting to raise bilingual children network with each other.

A series of wānaka held over the past year focussed on teaching Kāi Tahu reo, kōrero, histories and tikaka. These included Kā Pari Kārakaraka and more recently the first Kura Reo Kāi Tahu held at Te Rau Aroha Marae, in Bluff. Seventy participants from three generations of Ngāi Tahu language speakers took part in this weeklong immersion wānaka.

Our website www.kmk.maori.nz was revamped and re- launched with a greater focus on supporting families to increase the amount of language they are using in their homes by providing hands-on advice, tips and resources. Our Generation Reo marketing campaign continues to focus on growing general awareness about the state of our language and encouraging greater participation in the learning and use of te reo Māori within our homes.

A series of five workshops were run throughout the takiwā to support parents who wish to raise bilingual children. The workshops supported by Mā Te Reo, focused on providing practical tips for getting started and sharing information about the benefits of raising bilingual children.

Earlier in the year we conducted a survey and a series of focus groups with Ngāi Tahu rangatahi. The purpose of the research was to gauge rangatahi attitudes towards their Ngāi Tahu identity as well as their level of involvement and knowledge of things Ngāi Tahu. The research findings will be used in the development of a rangatahi engagement strategy to encourage greater rangatahi participation in tribal events and activities.