Culture a Defining Feature for Māori

Ko te Māoritanga tētahi mea nui mō te Māori

1 o Hereturikōkā 2014

Kei te hīkaka Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori ki te whakatōpū i ngā painga i hua ake i Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, ā, kua tuwhera te tohanga pūtea o Mā te Reo hei whakapiki i te pakari o te reo Māori i roto i ngā rohe, e kī ana te Tumuaki Kairīwhi a Pita Paraone.

I whakaputahia e Tatauranga Aotearoa inakuanei tāna tirohanga matawhānui ki te toiora o te iwi Māori. Ko tētahi o ngā kitenga, e 70 ōrau o ngā taipakeke Māori e kīia ana he mea āhua nui ki a rātou kia whai wāhi rātou ki ngā āhuatanga Māori. 10 ōrau anake i kī, hei aha ēnā āhuatanga.

89 ōrau o te iwi Māori i mātau ki ō rātou iwi, ā, kua tini piki ake te ōrau o ngā taiohi Māori i āhua mōhio ki te kōrero i te reo Māori.

Hei tā Paraone me āta whiriwhiri mārire te hōhonutanga o ēnei tatauranga, inā hoki, he mārama pū kei te hiahia te nuinga o te iwi Māori ki te piri tonu ki tō rātou Māoritanga me tō rātou iwi.

“He rawe a Mā Te Reo hei mahi whakapakari mā ngā whānau i ō rātou reo, nā te mea mā reira e kaha ai te iwi kāinga ki te waihanga i ā rātou kaupapa kōkiri haere i te reo.

Kei te aroākapa tonu a Mā Te Reo, i te taha tonu o ngā rōpū whakaora reo i ngā rohe. “Kua tautokona te tini o ngā kōkiri, arā ngā wānanga tūturu, ngā rauemi pānui, ngā akoranga reo e tika ai te kī, he tino kaupapa whakaora reo a Mā te Reo mō te motu katoa”, te kī a Paraone.

Culture a Defining Feature for Māori

1 August 2014

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori – The Māori Language Commission is keen to build on a successful Māori Language Week by opening the Mā te Reo funding round which is aimed at increasing Māori language proficiency in the regions, according to Acting Chief Executive Pita Paraone.

Statistics New Zealand recently released its comprehensive survey on Māori well-being and among other things, 70 percent of Māori adults said it was at least somewhat important for them to be involved in things to do with Māori culture. Just 10 percent said it was not important.

The survey also found 89 percent of Māori knew their tribal identity and reported a significant surge in the proportion of younger Māori who had some ability to speak te reo Māori.

Mr Paraone says these are sobering numbers because it clearly indicates a desire for Māori to maintain a tangible connection with their culture and their Iwi.

“The Mā te Reo fund is a great way for whānau to begin or build their language capability because it gives local people the opportunity to design their own te reo Māori initiatives.”

“Mā te Reo has been at the forefront of language revival in the regions. It has supported countless initiatives including formal wānanga, reading resources and te reo classes which makes it a valuable tool in Māori language revitalisation on a national level,” said Mr Paraone