It’s three days into Te Wiki o te reo Māori 2022 – and today marks a special anniversary in the journey for the revitalisation of the Māori language. Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori is celebrating by sharing your stories.
“Kua tawhiti kē to haerenga mai, kia kore e haere tonu He tino nui rawa ou mahi, kia kore e mahi nui tonu.”
“We have come too far to not go further. We have done too much to not do more.” – Tā Hemi Henare (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Whatua), 1988.
Fifty years ago today, the Māori Language Petition was presented to parliament by Hana Te Hemara (Te Atiawa, Ngāti Raukawa, Ngāi Tahu). It was the genesis of the modern te reo Māori renaissance, with over 33,000 signatures collected from New Zealanders calling for te reo to be taught in schools.
In the half-century since, we’ve come a long way. From the creation of Māori Language Week in 1975 to te reo Māori becoming an official language of New Zealand in 1987, the establishment of Māori television in 2004 and more recently with Māori place names being restored, transport announcements translated and even classic Disney movies being reimagined in te reo.
But, says Māori language commissioner Rawinia Higgins (Tūhoe), the journey to where we are now hasn’t been easy.
“Only 10 years before the Māori Language Petition was presented to parliament, Māori New Zealanders were still banned from entering some retail outlets and public places. Māori children caught speaking te reo had been punished and sometimes physically assaulted for more than a century. By the time the petition was presented in 1972, te reo was in serious decline. Hardly any of our children could speak their own language.”
This Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission) is recognising, celebrating and remembering the stories of all those who have fought to help te reo Māori thrive. Stories of Te Reo Māori is a website that’s been put together to showcase the long history of the language, and present kōrero about te reo from a wide range of voices – from stalwarts of the reclamation journey to those fresh on their path of discovering te reo.
“The battle for te reo has been fought for generations by people and families living in our smallest towns to our biggest cities, and their stories need to be captured and honoured. We want to add to the collective memory of Aotearoa by enabling everyday people to capture the stories of te reo from their own lives, families and communities,” says Higgins.
Those stories will collectively paint a picture of how te reo is changing Aotearoa, from individuals to communities and the country as a whole. Because te reo Māori is more than just a language, says Higgins: it’s an anchor to our past, and a compass to the future.
“It connects Māori New Zealanders to ancestors, culture and identity. It grounds all New Zealanders by giving us a sense of belonging to this place we call home. It guides us all as we prepare for the Aotearoa of tomorrow.”
In partnership with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, The Spinoff will be publishing a series of stories of te reo in the coming months. To read more stories or submit your own, visit Stories of Te Reo.
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