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National | Māori Language Commission

Hinurewa Poutu joins Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori

Hinurewa Poutu has been appointed as a new member to Te Tauri Whiri i Te Reo Māori for the next three years.

Te Reo Māori isn't just a job for Hinurewa Poutu, it's a way of life.

"I've benefited greatly from my language. It was my parents who decided that I would be brought up in total immersion. They didn't grow up with te reo so it was the language that was spoken to  my brother and I" says Poutu.

This week she will turn 30, and will be the youngest board member of The Maori Language Commission. A great example perhaps for younger generations to follow.

Poutu says "I want to be a voice for younger people. I'm still learning, but I do want to carry with me those things instilled in me at Kōhanga, Kura Kaupapa and Wharekura"

As a newbie to the board table, she was quick to avoid the question on whether Māori should be made compulsory in schools around the country.

"It's something that has been mooted for a long time, but I've only just come onto the Māori Language Commission so its something we've yet to form a position on"

Poutu says through teaching the generation like her students here, the Māori language will be heard by the masses.