Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) brought the waiata of schoolchildren to the Ōamaru Public Library on Tuesday (September 12).

Te Pākihi o Maru School Kapa Haka Group gave an enthusiastic performance to an audience of parents, children and library visitors.

Waitaki District Libraries’ Lisa Jane Potaka-Ross expressed her delight at the performance.

“Ka rawe tamariki! It’s been wonderful to have these talented students visit us and give us the gift of their kapa haka performances and beautiful singing voices.”

Te Pākihi o Maru tumuaki tuarua Sara Jones-Hogan said the school is “very lucky, and

very proud”, to have such “amazing students” at the kura. 

“This group will be performing at Polyfest in Dunedin this week, so it has been a pleasure to share their waiata with the community,” she said.

The library thanked the group by presenting them with Te Wiki of Te Reo Māori badges.

This year’s Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori is focusing on the Māori Language Moment this Thursday, at midday, which marks the moment the Māori Language petition was handed to parliament in 1972, on what was then Māori Language Day but what we now know as Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori.