Learning Māori is first and foremost about having fun, according to Precious Clark, director of Maurea Consulting LTD, in a Newshub report on learning te reo Maori and embracing tikanga.
“It’s about giving people the tools so they can pronounce our words correctly and it’s about giving them the confidence to give it a go,” she said.
But getting it right isn’t always easy, Newshub’s Mike McRoberts pointed out.
His report recalled the recent experience of a Canadian brewery which apologised after making a beer with New Zealand hops which it called the Pale Ale Huruhuru.
“The strict translation means feather, but it’s more commonly used to describe pubic hair.
“After being called out by language watchdog Te Hamua Nikora, the brewery apologised.”
The beer company wasn’t alone. A leather shop in Wellington apologised, too, after coming under fire for unwittingly taking its name from the Māori word “huruhuru”. Continue reading “Firms wanting to use te reo in their branding should check with Te Hamua Nikora as well as IPONZ”