Source / Google Play Store
Directors now have a Māori-designed mobile app to support them on their journey with te ao Māori.
The Institute of Directors in New Zealand (IoD) launched the app named Hautū on Friday. Its name means to lead or guide and is also the term used for the leaders in a waka that call the time to the paddlers to travel in the same direction.
Co-developed by Kiwa Digital and IoD, the professional body for directors, the app provides a range of resources to support members develop confidence in te reo Māori. This includes interactive tools to assist with pronunciation, greetings, learning their pepeha, formally opening and closing meetings, understanding tikanga and other foundation level skills.
The tool also provides a range of useful resources such as karakia, waiata and a glossary of key terminology.
“We hope that wherever directors are in their own cultural journey, the app will provide a simple reference to help build their knowledge and confidence when using te reo and in applying key aspects of te ao Māori in a business or community setting,” IoD chief executive Kirsten Patterson said in a statement.
Patterson says the app is an important taonga for the organisation and that increasing te reo literacy and building internal understanding of te ao Māori is a fundamental layer of the IoD’s Te Kākano strategy.
“This strategy recognises the importance of diversity around the board table, and our commitment as an organisation to building cultural competence.”
The app can be downloaded for free from Google Play or Apple's App Store and can be found by searching for Hautū.