The Hearing House is learning Te Reo Māori, thanks to the support and guidance of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.
Its delivery - Whatua Te Aho Tukurua - represents the rejuvenation and intent of chief Apihai Te Kawau’s gift of land in 1840 to Governor William Hobson on his arrival to Ōkahu Bay in Tamaki Makaurau/Auckland. The parcel of land begins from the summit of Maungawhau/Mt Eden and runs northeast to Taurarua/Parnell Pools, then follows the Waitematā shoreline around to Ōpou/Cox’s Bay in the West - a triangular border that encompasses Auckland’s CBD.
The intent was that Māori and Non-Māori could be mutual recipients of the many offerings that the two peoples and their cultures could share in order to establish a dynamic and prosperous future for everyone.
We are continuing to strengthen our understanding of Māori culture by integrating aspects of it into our daily operations at The Hearing House through Whatua te Aho Tukurua, the development of online training modules and cultural immersion exercises connecting The Hearing House with Tāmaki (Auckland) based iwi, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei.
“One of our key objectives is to honour our obligations under Te Tiriti and to be a good partner with Maori,” says The Hearing House CEO Dr Claire Green. “Our vision at The Hearing House is to foster a sense of community where everyone is welcome, contributes and belongs, and our services are co-designed with kiritaki and whānau to ensure we understand and meet their needs.
“We’re very excited to be learning Te Reo Māori as a team, and to be supporting each other on our learning journey.”
Every team member is participating in an eight-week module of te reo Māori classes, run by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Māia, the cultural development arm of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Trust.
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