Download PDF
Nā tō rourou, nā taku rourou, ka ora ai te iwi
With your food basket and my food basket, the people will thrive
The Raupō: Phrase Book of Modern Māori is an updated full reference guide of terminology, phrases, sentences, whakataukī (proverbs) and kīwaha (common sayings) that can be used in daily conversation. It complements Scotty and Stacey Morrison's work on the Māori Made Easy series.
I wanted to absorb this pukapuka (book) into my tinana (self) and let the words fill up my wairua (soul) and guide me to converse in the language that I was born to kōrero (speak). Te Reo is my birthright. Like some of my fellow tauira (students) in my night class at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, I have grown up disconnected from my iwi. Scotty and his wife Stacey are doing awesome mahi unlocking this part of our identity through providing resources that aid us in our learning.
I found this guide to be next level! As a student about 2 years into my studies, I am stuck on the level where my conversations are quite literal-sounding. We focus on grammar and sentence structure at my level of learning. This phrasebook contains so much that I can add into my conversations and inspires us to beautify and put context around what we say. It also acts as a starting point for non-Māori speakers who want to inject Te Reo into everyday interactions.
There’s a useful guide to basic greetings and conversation that anyone could implement in the workplace, home, sportsfield - so many settings! My favourite section is about all the terms, instructions and conversation you have when visiting the marae and helps us understand concepts such as tangi, koha, and tapu. Other favourites are the modern tech terms we use in our lives such as iPapa (iPad) or Pukamata (Facebook) - a great way to keep up with the kids!
Ngā mihi nui ki a Scotty rāua ko Stacey. Kia ora (thank you) for all the mātauranga (knowledge) and rauemi (resources). It’s keeping a lot of learners going strong and making Te Reo accessible to many more. If you are keen to learn Te Reo - Karawhiua! (Give it heaps!)
Reviewed by Gina Giordani (Ngāti Porou)- Kaiwhakapiki Ora/ Senior Health Promotion/Community Engagement Specialist