E whakanui ana Te Pati Maori i Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori   21 Jul 2014

The Maori Party

21 Hongongoi 2014

E whakanui ana Te Pati Maori i Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori

#tekupu #tumaorimai

The Maori Party joins thousands of other Maori speakers around the country to celebrate Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori which started today. Maori Party Co-leaders Te Ururoa Flavell and Tariana Turia say Maori Language Week is about celebrating our achievements and how far we have come in reviving the language – and it is also about acknowledging how much more we must do to ensure the language survives into the future.

“The Maori Party wants te reo Maori taught to all students at primary school and to be available to every student at secondary school in Aotearoa. If our language is going to survive and thrive, then all our students must leave school with a basic knowledge of the language and the opportunity to take that further at secondary school. So much has been done so far to revive the language, let us not lose momentum now,” says Te Ururoa Flavell.

“We are excited by the new Maori language strategy because it devolves the decision-making back to the iwi – where the mita belongs. We have seen much progress being made by the tribes over the years to revitalise their language and culture through kohanga reo, kura and tribal wananga. If we are truly going to achieve self-determination for iwi across all sectors from health to education to te reo Maori, then the iwi role in Te Matawai which will govern Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Maori, Te Mangai Paho and the Maori Television Service is crucial.”

“There are so many to thank and acknowledge for setting the foundations and paving the way to revive our language. Te reo Maori is now an official language of Aotearoa – thanks to activism by groups like Nga Tama Toa and the Wellington Maori Language Society – who in 1972 marched to Parliament with a petition that contained 30,000 signatures calling for te reo Maori to be made available at all secondary schools. That is an amazing achievement,” says Tariana Turia.

“We also pay heed to the Te Ataarangi movement which taught te reo through the rakau method and also to the hundreds of kohanga reo whanau who started off with humble beginnings teaching the language to our tamariki and mokopuna in their homes, garages and marae with little funding but with a whole lot of aroha for the language.”

“Then there are those families and communities who set up immersion classes and bilingual units in schools because they saw the validity and worth of the language and culture in education and the importance of it being taught in mainstream schools – and because they wanted their kids to be able to korero. That was taken a step further with kura kaupapa Maori and kura a Iwi, who against all odds and often much negativity and criticism - grew the total immersion method into a full primary and secondary programme for our children, normalising te reo Maori in school life and in curriculum delivery. Their successes have been documented and we have seen what can be achieved academically when our kids are taught in te reo and from a Maori cultural base,” says Te Ururoa Flavell.

“Then of course there are our wananga, university and polytechnic classes who are also teaching te reo. We pay special mention to the confederation of Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Toa and Te Atiawa who in their tribal strategic plan Whakatupuranga Ruamano emphasised the goal of language revitalisation for the tribes. They developed the immersion method for adults and in the 1980’s opened their marae for hundreds of te reo speakers many from outside their tribe to immerse themselves in the language for one week. This highly successful method spread throughout the country influencing the now established Kura Reo and most recently Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo Maori – the Institute of Excellence in the Maori Language aimed at improving the quality of the language.”

“We also mihi to the Wellington Maori Language Board - Nga Kaiwhakapumau i te Reo Maori and others who took the Maori language claim to the Waitangi Tribunal resulting in legislation that established Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Maori, Te Mangai Paho and the Maori Television Service,” says Mrs Turia.

“Our Maori radio stations, Maori programmes on mainstream television and Maori Television have played a vital role in promoting the language through song, korero, talkback, sport, film, reality programmes, comedy, news and current affairs. Combined, Maori broadcasters have brought te reo Maori into the homes of thousands of New Zealanders.”

“And of course there are our Maori language events like Te Matatini, Nga Manu Korero and various sporting competitions around the country that promote te reo Maori. We now have generations of children being raised around the language,” says Mr Flavell.

“But we must above all pay tribute to those parents, grandparents and extended families who are raising their children and mokopuna in te reo, speaking Maori to each other at home, in the playground, at the marae, in town and at the sports clubs – passing the language down to the next generation – making it the language of conversation between parents and children, grandparents and mokopuna. Intergenerational transmission of the language is key to the language surviving – and we honour you all for your commitment.”

“If the language becomes an everyday part of the lives of all children in this nation through their education then we will grow the number of Maori speakers every year both Maori and non-Maori. What a great day that will be when we can all speak to each other in te reo Maori, anywhere, anytime in Aotearoa. The Maori Party believes it is a goal worth striving for.”

“Without our language we will lose our culture and the very essence of who we are as indigenous peoples. Let us not allow our language to become extinct like the native huia or moa. Let us ensure we develop a nurturing environment including at our schools around the country, giving te reo Maori the status it deserves and allowing it to remain a living breathing language that thrives for each new generation,” says Te Ururoa Flavell.


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