Residents are being encouraged to add a touch of te reo to their vocabulary as part of the nation's Maori Language Week

Acknowledged since 1975, the week-long event is described as a time for all New Zealanders to celebrate te reo Maori and use more Maori phrases in everyday life.

The cover of Stan Walker's new album. Photo: Twitter

This year's theme - Te Kupa o te Wiki: The Word of the Week - forms part of a wider notion ‘Arohatia te Reo – cherish the language', aiming to get people to demonstrate their love and regard for the language.

Maori became an official language of New Zealand in 1987, alongside English.

Marking the start of Maori Language Week, musician Stan Walker released his new single ‘Aotearoa' in Maori this morning.

Teaming up with Tauranga's Ria Hall, Whakatane's Maisey Rika, and Troy Kingi, the Mount Maunganui-raised launched the song live in Porirua.

The idea for Stan to sing the song came when broadcaster and TV producer Matai Smith saw him sing Crowded House's Don't Dream It's Over in Maori when Stan opened for Beyonce in Auckland last year.

There is also a new advertising campaign aiming to teach New Zealanders an everyday Maori word, every week, for 50 weeks. The first word is 'apopo', which means 'tomorrow'.

Tauranga Library Maori service's librarian Bernie Johnson says this is a very important time for Maori and endorses the new advertising campaign.

The library isn't running any community activities apart from displays, but is holding workshops and seminars for council staff instead.

'It's obviously really important and I don't think that one word a day, or keeping the same word for a week, for the next 50 weeks isn't too hard,” says Bernie.

'It will good to get everyone involved for that.”

Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples encourages all New Zealanders to get behind the native language and should be proud of the heritage associated.

'I'm excited by the waiata ‘Aotearoa', which has been written for Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori by Stan Walker, featuring Maisey Rika, Ria Hall and Troy Kingi. Promoting our reo for all of New Zealand is what this week is all about,” says Pita.

'It's also great to see so many businesses and communities across Aotearoa participating in Maori language initiatives this week. It's important that we all embrace our indigenous language to ensure its survival into the future.”

'It would be wonderful if we saw this commitment to our reo carry on through every week of the year.”

He is pleased to see the growing awareness and dialogue around contemporary issues in te reo Maori, and this is a promising step in the journey to revitalising the language.

'This week the Maori Language Bill will be read for a first time in Parliament. The bill establishes an entity called Te Matawai to oversee agencies such as Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Maori, Te Mangai Paho, and Maori Television.

'Tangata whenua should be determining how best to support our reo into the future and where the Crown's strategy and resource should be directed. That is the purpose of this bill.”