Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po The Queen accompanied by Toitū Te Reo's Te Rina MacLeod. Photo: Supplied / Rearea Limited
Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po attended a breakfast function in Heretaunga, Hastings on Wednesday in celebration of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori.
The event saw the announcement of the programme for year's Toitū Te Reo festival on 13 - 14 November.
Festival founder and convenor Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod said Te Arikinui served as Tumu Kairangi alongside Sir Tīmoti Kāretu at last year's inaugural festival, which signified the Māori Queen's continuous support for te reo Māori revitalisation.
"It not only demonstrates her commitment, it inspires us all to keep the kaupapa alive."
This year's theme for Toitū Te Reo is Titiro Whakaroto - Look Within.
It follows Te Arikinui's maiden national address at the Koroneihana celebrations earlier this month.
"Kua 2025 ināianei, me mutu te noho papa, taotū, tūroro rānei i ngā kariri a ētahi kē; me kimi huarahi hou, me kimi ahunga hou, me kimi rongoā hou tātou ki ēnei mate whakaheke," Kuini Nga wai hono i te po said at Koroneihana.
"It's now 2025, we need to stop allowing external forces to hinder us. We need to walk a new path. We need a new direction. We need new solutions for the problems we've inherited."
"Her words were poignant and they were powerful. Te Arikinui spoke of a new direction to achieve transformational change and Mana Motuhake, and of no longer allowing external forces to hinder us.
"It is her support, alongside Sir Tīmoti's lifelong aspiration to see te reo Māori flourish, that anchors Toitū Te Reo as a movement of enduring significance."
Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po on stage with Sir Tīmoti Kāretu and Bayden Barber. Photo: Supplied / Rearea Limited
The programme for Toitū Te Reo includes a street celebration in central Hastings with free concerts, presentations, expo areas, and wānanga.
The ticketed symposium programme will focus on Rangimamao (full immersion te reo Māori) and Pūmotomoto (entirely in English). The symposium topics is said to confront some of the biggest issues for te reo Māori.
These include AI and how it intersects with te reo, sustaining te reo at home, the future of dialects, unpacking language trauma, elitism and accessibility, neurodiversity and language acquisition, and the widening gap between those who can access reo and those still striving to reclaim it.
Kōrero will also explore tikanga - the values that support te reo - and the role those values must play in shaping its future.
Rangatahi will be central to ensuring the language remains relevant for the next generation, while other sessions will highlight grassroots innovation, fresh thinking on long-standing initiatives, and the wellbeing of our reo champions - alongside conversations about how te reo can prosper when facing limited resources.
These elements ensure the festival not only debates the challenges but also celebrates the vitality and beauty of Māori in action, with the hope that all attendees will leave inspired, challenged, and activated, Macleod said.
"After two years of relentless attacks on te reo Māori, many across the motu feel drained - energy, passion and commitment have been eroded. This year's kaupapa creates space to reset and renew, to look within, block out the noise, and bring fresh thinking,"
Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po on stage with Sir Tīmoti Kāretu and Bayden Barber. Photo: Supplied / Rearea Limited
Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated Chair Bayden Barber said his iwi is proud to 'once again' stand at the centre of the kaupapa.
"Our commitment to te reo Māori is unwavering. Toitū Te Reo has brought together iwi, hapū, and communities from across the motu to celebrate, debate, and act for our reo.
"For Ngāti Kahungunu, it has been a privilege to host this kaupapa here in Heretaunga."
Tickets for the symposiums and festival events are available now on the Toitū te reo website.
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