Answer 1840

The Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840 between representatives of the Crown and more than 500 Māori chiefs. However differences between the Maori and European versions created different expectations which are still being reconciled to this day.

QUESTION 2: In what year was the first Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Maori Language Week) celebrated?

Answer: 1975

In 1972 the Te Reo Māori Society was instrumental in establishing Māori Language Day – extended to Māori Language Week in 1975. This came from efforts by Maori university students to reverse the decline of the language.

QUESTION 3. In Te Reo, what does Aotearoa (the Maori name for New Zealand) translate as?

Answer: The Land of the Long White Cloud.

The name Aotearoa originally was originally used by the Māori people in reference to only the North Island but, since the late 19th century, the word has come to refer to the country as a whole.

QUESTION 4: The Maori name for Auckland is ‘Tāmaki Makaurau’ but what is the Maori name for our nation’s capital, Wellington?

Answer: Te Whanganui-a-Tara

Te Whanganui-a-Tara translates as the ‘great harbour of Tara’; named for Tara, a son of a great Polynesian Explorer named Whatonga, whose descendants settled the Wellington area. Ōtautahi meanwhile is the Maori name for Christchurch, Kirikiriroa for Hamilton and Ahuriri for Napier.

QUESTION 5: Up North in the Waipoua Forest, there is a kauri tree that is believed to be between 1250-2500 years old. What is it called?

Answer: Tāne Mahuta

Tāne Mahuta, also called “Lord of the Forest”, is a giant kauri tree in the Waipoua Forest of Northland Region, New Zealand. Its age is unknown but is estimated to be between 1,250 and 2,500 years. It is the largest kauri known to stand today. It is named for the Māori god of forests and of birds.

QUESTION 6. The ‘Ka Māte’ is a famous example of a traditional Maori dance, known as a ‘haka’ and often associated with the All Blacks. In what year did the All Blacks first perform the ‘Ka Māte’?

Answer: 1906

The All Blacks are believed to have first performed a choreographed and synchronized version of the "Ka Mate" haka in 1906 against Wales. In response, the electrified Welsh enthusiastically sang their national anthem, one of the first record instances of a national anthem being sung before a ports event.

QUESTION 7: According to Maori/Pasifika tradition, which legendary figure hauled the North Island from the sea using his Grandmother’s jawbone as a hook?

Answer: Māui

Māui was a semi-divine folk hero that hooked the North Island (depicted as a monstrous fish in the mythology) from the back of his brother’s canoe. Kupe is another mythical figure that led first settlers to Aoteroa, Tane Mahuta is the God of the Forest and Ranginui is God of the sky.

QUESTION 8: Which of the following words translates to ‘Ocean’ in Te Reo Maori?

Answer: Moana

If you chose ‘Wai’ or ‘Tatahi’ you’d be close, ‘wai’ is the Maori word for water, while ‘tatahi’ is the word used to refer to the beach. ‘Awa’ meanwhile is the Maori word for river.

QUESTION 9: Which of the following are the values of the Companies Office in Te Reo?

Answer: Māia, Mahi Tahi, Pae Kahurangi, Pono me te Tika (Bold and brave, Better together, Build Our Future, Own It)

Our way of working is guided by our values which shape our behaviors in the workplace.

QUESTION 10. Which of the following greetings would be appropriate to add to your emails here at the Companies Office?