Presenter Profile - Dr Ruakere Hond

Reo Advocate

Te Ataarangi ki Te Kāhui Maunga

For over 30 years Ruakere has worked and taught in Māori language immersion programmes for adult education and in community-based reo development projects working to re-create Māori speaker communities.

Much of his activity has been to enhance the use of immersion learning with Te Ataarangi and in revitalising regional language with Te Reo o Taranaki and Kura Whakarauora. His views have helped influence New Zealand’s language revitalisation strategy as a past member of Te Taura Whiri and Te Mātāwai.

Currently, Ruakere has multiple roles in the community and with research, while also a sitting member of the Waitangi Tribunal. Within ‘Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori’, a Ministry of Education project, he has a leadership role in the delivery, content development and strategy of this immersion reo programme for school and early childhood teachers through the Manawatū, Whanganui, Taranaki region.

Growing Speaker Communities: Sustainable Outcomes

Māra kai are an opportunity to build context-centred language revitalisation and sustain culturally authentic community-action.

Presentation | Tuesday 8 October Plenary Keynote Speaker