AUCKLAND, Today: Māori-owned creative agency RUN lives and breathes te reo Māori every day. To mark the 50th Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, they’ve created a stunning series of heitiki-inspired designs.
Shared across their social channels throughout the week, each piece is inspired by a whakataukī, bringing together traditional wisdom and contemporary design to celebrate te ao Māori.
At the heart of the series is the kīwaha, “Heia tō ihi, heitiki,” written for this milestone anniversary, encouraging Aotearoa to wear and share heitiki with pride online.
“This initiative is both a celebration of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori and a way for RUN to tautoko kura, whānau, and the revitalisation of te reo Māori through a creative campaign.” – Raymond Otene McKay
Once finished, the artworks will be turned into fine art prints and gifted to Te Uru Karaka Newton Central School’s Te Whānau Awahou o Te Aka Pūkāea unit, supporting their mission of nurturing te reo Māori for the next generation.
RUN’s Kaiwhakahaere Matua (CCO) Raymond Otene McKay (Ngaati Mahuta, Ngāti Pūkeko, Rongomaiwahine and Ngāti Porou) says, “We bring authenticity to all the mahi we produce, aligning with taha Māori processes and staying true to te ao Māori values.
“This initiative is both a celebration of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori and a way for RUN to tautoko kura, whānau, and the revitalisation of te reo Māori through a creative campaign.”
In the past, RUN has marked Te Wiki o te Reo Māori by renaming the agency ‘Oma’ and creating vibrant oral language videos. They’re widely recognised for their indigenous perspective, specialising in Māori and Pasifika kaupapa and purpose-driven projects.
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