TE PUNI KÖKIRI MEDIA STATEMENT
Monday 29 Sept

WHÄNAU-BASED APPROACH CRITICAL TO REVITALISATION OF MÄORI LANGUAGE

Te Puni Kökiri chief executive Leith Comer says the new Mäori Language Strategy demonstrates the critical value of a whänau-based approach and provides a platform to launch new and innovative initiatives for supporting the Mäori language.

The strategy was launched at the pöwhiri to the new Māori Language Commission members Hana O’Regan, Iritana Täwhiwhirangi, Ruakere Hond and Wayne Ngata in Wellington this morning. Patu Höhepa was retained as the Mäori Language Commissioner. Mr Comer says the strategy is based on five years of extensive research into the health of the Mäori language and indicates some new directions.

"The strategy, acknowledges the critical role that whänau play in the long-term revitalisation of te reo Māori. This is the first time there has been whole of government buy-in for an approach for Mäori language development underpinned by a whänau-based approach.

"As a result government agencies can now look at innovative ways to support language growth and development among whänau, hapü and iwi," he said.

In addition to developing the strategy, Mr Comer says Te Puni Kōkiri has worked closely with language planners (people assisting iwi with their language plan requirements) from around the country to produce a series of regional reports based on the national research.

"Preserving regional dialectical differences is important because they are often a distinguishing and intrinsic part of iwi identity.

"Co-operation between iwi planners and Te Puni Kōkiri has allowed us to combine statistical information with local knowledge, thus providing a basis for a regional language strategies tailored specifically for their whänau, hapü and iwi."

Mr. Comer said Te Puni Kōkiri will now work with other agencies to coordinate the most efficient and effective use of current language resources to achieve the best outcomes possible for Māori speakers and government agencies.

"Māori language underpins the cultural identity of New Zealand. Everyone benefits from it and we all have a role to play in its revitalisation. The strategy simply clarifies these roles and opens the door to new ways of doing things."

The Mäori Language Strategy was led by Te Puni Kökiri with input from the Ministry of education, the Ministry for Culture and heritage, the National Library, Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Mäori and Te Mängai Päho.

ENDS

KO TE ARO KI TE WHÄNAU TE ÄHUATANGA MATUA O NGÄ MAHI WHAKAORA I TE REO MÄORI

E kï ana a te manahautü o Te Puni Kökiri, a Leith Comer, ka whakaatuhia i te Rautaki Reo Mäori hou te wähi nui ki te whänau, ä, ka whakatakotoria hoki he pütake hei whakatere i ëtahi kaupapa hou, auaha hoki hei tautoko i te reo Mäori.

I whakaterehia te rautaki i te pöwhiri mö ngä kaiwhiri hou a Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Mäori i tü ki Pöneke i te ata nei. Ko ngä kaiwhiri hou, ko Hana O’Regan, ko Iritana Täwhiwhirangi, ko Ruakere Hond rätau ko Wayne Ngata. E noho tonu ana a Patu Höhepa hei toihau mä Te Taura Whiri. E kï ana a Leith Comer, kua takea mai te rautaki i ëtahi rangahau mö te ora o te reo Mäori i kökirihia i te rima tau kua hori nei, ä, e tohua ana ko ëtahi huarahi hou mö te reo.

"E aro ana tënei räutaki ki te wähi nui ki te whänau i ngä mahi hei whakaora ake i te reo Mäori. Ko te wä tuatahi tënei i tautokohia e te katoa o te käwanatanga tënei momo kökiri e aro ana ki te whakaora i te reo mä roto i te whänau.

"Nä runga i tënei ähuatanga, ka ähei ngä tari käwanatanga ki te whakaaro ki ëtahi huarahi auaha hei tautoko i te tipunga me te whanaketanga o te reo i waenga i ngä whänau, i ngä hapü, i ngä iwi hoki o te motu” hei täna.

I tua atu i ënei mahi, e kï ana a Leith Comer kua äta mahi tahi a Te Puni Kōkiri ki ëtahi kaiwhakamaherehere reo (he hunga tënei e äwhina ana i ngä iwi ki te whakarite he mahere reo mö rätau tonu), puta noa i te motu, ki te whakaputa he pürongo ä-rohe mö te ora o te reo Mäori.

"He tino mahi nui te tohu me te whakapakari i ngä reo-ä-iwi, nö te mea hoki koianei tëtahi ähuatanga matua o te tuakiri motuhake o te iwi”.

"Nä te mahi tahi a ngä kaiwhakamaherehere ä-iwi me Te Puni Kökiri, kua kötuituia he tatauranga, he möhiotanga pä harakeke hoki e takoto ai he kaupapa mö ëtahi rautaki ä-rohe hei whakaora i te reo, e tino hängai ki ngä whänau, nä hapü me ngä iwi o ërä rohe".

Hei tä Leith Comer, ka aro a Te Puni Kōkiri ki te mahi tahi ki ngä tari käwanatanga inäinaei, arä, ki te ruruku i ngä mahi me ngä rawa a ngä tari mö te reo kia whäia ngä tino hua mö te reo me ngä tari hoki.

"Ko te reo Mäori tëtahi kaupapa matua i te tuakiri o Aotearoa. Ka whai hua te katoa i te reo Mäori, ä, he mahi anö ä te katoa hei tautoko i töna whakaoranga ake. Ka äta whakaatuhia ënei mahi i te rautaki, ä, ka huaki hoki i te kuaha kia whakaarohia ko ëtahi huarahi hou hei tautoko i te reo”.

Nä Te Puni Kökiri i ärahi te Rautaki Reo Mäori, me te whai wähi mai a Te Tähuhu mö te Mätauranga, a Te Manatu Taonga, a Te Puna Mätauranga, a Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Mäori, a Te Mängai Päho hoki.

ENDS

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