Hutt Valley DHB is proud to celebrate Māori Language Week 2016 July 4 – 10 and will this year mark the occasion by giving new names of Māori medicinal plants to many of our meeting rooms.
Kuini Puketapu, Director Māori Health says work is underway on the project and a brief description of what the new names mean is below.
Māori Language Week is celebrated to show New Zealand that te reo Māori is a language for all of us.
Kuini believes this year’s theme, ākina to reo – behind you all the way, reflects what we are all about as a District Health Board. “This year we plan to celebrate our commitment to te reo in a style that keeps the language in the forefront of our daily activity and not just one week a year.”
For your weekly ‘fix’ of te reo - you can download these 50 phrases in te reo Māori that are simple for everyone to use. There’s a phrase to try every week of the year. Print this flyer out and have a go!
New Māori medicinal plant meeting room names
| Current room name | New Māori room name | Other names/use |
| Medical Services Meeting Room (10) | Kareao | Supplejack
Ripogonum scandens
Used for cordage and medicine |
| Lecture Room (20) | Rewarewa | NZ honeysuckle
Knightia excelsa
Used for medicine |
| Room 8 (10-12) | Tawāpou | Planchonella novo-zelandica
Used for adornment, food and medicine |
| Room 9 (10-12) | Tī Kōuka | Cabbage tree
Cordyline australis
Used for clothes, food and weaving, medicine |
| Seminar Room (10) | Ponga | Silver tree fern
Cyathea dealbata
Used for building and medicine |
| AnTēnātal Education Room (30) | Hangehange | Māori privet
Geniostoma rupestre
Used for flavouring food and medicine |
| MDM Room | Karaka | Corynocarpus laevigatus
Used for food and medicine |
| Meeting Room 2 (40) | Horopito | Pepper tree
Pseudowintera colorata
Used for beliefs and medicine |
| Meeting Room 3 (20) | Harakeke | NZ flax
Used for beliefs, clothing, fishing, medicine and boats |
| Turorial 1 (8) | Kānuka | White tea tree
Kunzea ericoides,
Used for building, weapons and medicine |
| Tutorial 2 (8) | Mānuka | Tea tree
Leptospermum scoparium |
| Room 2 (12) | Rangiora | Brachyglottis repanda |
| Room 3 (8) | Rātā | Metrosideros fulgens
Used for cordage and medicine |
| Room 1 (12) | Koromiko | Hebe stricta
Used for beliefs and food |
| Room 2 (12) | Kawakawa | Pepper tree (as is Horopito)
Macropiper excelsum
Used for beliefs, insect repellent and medicine |
| Board Room | Tōtara | Podocarpus totara
Used for boat building, carving, food, roofing, medicine |
| ED Large Tutorial Room (25) | Pōkākā | Elaeocarpus hookerianus
Used for medicine |
| ED Small Tutorial Room (12) | Pūriri | Vitex lucens
Used for food and dye |
