This week is Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week. It is a time to celebrate and reflect on the indigenous language of Aotearoa New Zealand. But to better understand the context of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, we must look back into the history of te reo Māori (Māori language).
Kia whakatōmuri te haere whakamua
I walk backwards into the future with my eyes fixed on my past.
This whakatauki (proverb) emphasises the importance of reflecting on the past to move forward. This understanding of time suggests that we do not simply leave our past behind; instead, we carry it with us into the future, as our past experiences shape what lies ahead.
Te reo Māori as an upward movement
The Māori kupu (word) ake on its own means upwards. Ake Ake Ake translates to ‘Forever Language’, and is the theme for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week 2024. Te reo Māori has taken a trajectory of an upward movement. This has come with its struggles and challenges. But through the work of many who advocated in bringing Te reo Māori to the forefront, it is and will now be a ‘Forever Language’.
Māori Language Week parade in 2019. Photo: RNZ
Before colonialisation, Te reo Māori was the dominant language. The use of English in Aotearoa New Zealand grew as settlers' populations increased. In 1867, The Native Schools Act forbade Māori tamariki (children) the use of Te reo Māori in schools. Tamariki were severely punished for speaking Te reo. For the generations that followed, the fear created an intergenerational suppression of Te reo.
The protest movements in the 1970’s pushed for the revitalisation of Te reo Māori. Māori iwi and community groups gathered together to think of innovative ways to bring Te reo Māori to mainstream but more importantly, to ensure the survival of the language. Their efforts paid off with the establishment of Kohanga Reo in 1982. By 1984, Te reo Māori became an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand.
The kaupapa of kohanga reo was to revitalise Te Reo Māori and maintain the culture. In 1985, there were 377 kohanga reo centres around New Zealand. By the year 2000, there were over 460. Māori recognised that te reo needed to accompany tamariki throughout their education. The establishment of Kura Kaupapa schools (full immersion) followed in 1988. In 1984, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa was established, a tertiary education provider grounded in Māori values and committed to the revitalisation of Te reo and tikanga Māori (Māori language and culture). Te reo has progressed in the education system making it accessible for Māori and non-Māori to learn.
In 1978, Dr Richard Benton, a Pākehā scholar and researcher, stated
“ Nā, ki te kīia tātou he iwi no Aotearoa tūturu i runga anō i te ahurea Pākehā me te ahurea o te Moanaui a kiwa. Me whakaū tātou e whakamahia whānuitia ana te reo i ngā kura. I te pouaka whakaata, ā, i te reo irirangi anō hoki. Koinei pea e ora tonu ai te reo Māori kia āhei tāua ki ngā painga o ngā ao e rua.”
In essence, he emphasises that for Te reo to thrive and flourish as a national identity, it must be widely incorporated into schools, television programmes, and radio broadcasts.
Over time, we have seen this occur with the first Māori radio station established in 1988. The launch of Māori television in 2004 created a dedicated channel to revive Te reo and tikanga Māori. Overall, the tracjectory of Te reo is moving upwards and cementing its place as the ‘Forever Language.’
In recent years, stories have emerged from former refugees and migrants in Aotearoa New Zealand about their journeys in learning Te reo Māori. Their motivation to learn the language has played a crucial role in embracing their new home and understanding that "to enter a world, one must enter its language." For others, it was the desire to forge a national identity rooted in connection and tūrangawaewae, a sense of place or belonging, as well as to demonstrate political support by upholding the mana of Māori.
At HOST, we support and encourage sponsor groups in the Community Refugee Sponsorship (CORS) programme to connect with mana whenua and provide learning opportunities for newcomers to learn about Te ao Māori through the HOST value of whakawhanaungatanga.
Since the arrival of the first CORS-sponsored refugee in August 2023, we have heard many stories showcasing how community groups have supported arriving primary applicants and their whānau (families). They have attended pōwhiri and mihi whakatau at local schools, participated in Māori-led events at tertiary institutions, and visited historical sites. These experiences have introduced newcomers to Te reo Māori.
A 2015 report titled ‘Our Multicultural Future’ published on the Community Research website highlighted the necessity of educating former refugees and migrants about Māori culture, Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and biculturalism. As newcomers integrate into their local communities, they will encounter Te reo Māori through various channels, whether in written form or through the pronunciation of place names, Māori and mainstream news, social media, educational settings, workplaces, waiata, and other public venues. These experiences create opportunities to demonstrate that Te reo is a national language, one that will continue to echo through our social landscapes.
In our workplace, we strive to establish strong relationships with mana whenua, encouraging community sponsor groups to embrace the wero (challenge) of engagement, so that newcomers can learn about bicultural relationships. This journey can begin with simple everyday phrases like ‘kia ora,’ ‘mōrena,’ ‘po mārie,’ and ‘ka kite’ to foster connections through te reo Māori. Additionally, recognising Māori place names and their meanings play a vital role in this process.
The calls for kotahitanga resonated throughout King Tuheitia's tangihanga. Let us come together in our efforts to empower people and foster a sense of belonging for former refugees and migrants through Te reo Māori.
References
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori – Māori Language Commission:
Multicultural New Zealand (2015): Our Multicultural Future: New Zealanders talk about multiculturalism. Published on Community Research website
Māori language research | Ngā Kākā Kura o te Reo (2022)
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