The Mahuru Māori challenge is just around the corner, but what does this mean and who can get involved?

Renowned Māori leader and reo Māori advocate, Paraone Gloyne pioneered Mahuru Māori in 2014, as a social experiment to promote broadcasting te reo Māori and normalising te reo Māori in everyday dealings.

The idea of the challenge was to consciously use as much te reo Māori as possible during the month of Mahuru – the fourth lunar month of the maramataka (Māori lunar calendar), approximately equivalent to September.

Proudly promoted by Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Mahuru Māori has become an annual challenge, and last year saw around 15,000 registered participants take part.

Following the maramataka, this year’s Mahuru Māori challenge will begin on Friday, 15 September and finish on Saturday, 14 October.

Participation in the challenge is not exclusive to fluent te reo Māori speakers; it’s open to everyone, no matter what their current level of Māori language is.

In fact, every year since the beginning of Mahuru Māori, there has been a growing number of participants who are beginners.

Participants are encouraged to make a conscious effort during the challenge, so when registering it’s important any goals and intentions are realistic.

There are a number of challenge examples listed on the Mahuru Māori website and resources to provide support along the way.

By taking part in the Mahuru Māori challenge, participants will be a part of a movement that helps to continue the revitalisation of te reo Māori in Aotearoa and beyond.

To take part in Mahuru Māori or to find out more, visit www.mahurumaori.com.