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National | Māori Language Commission

Today is Māori Language Day

The Māori Language Commission is celebrating today as Māori Language Day.  The move follows after a group of Māori language advocates presented a petition to Parliament 43 years ago, calling for Māori to be made an official language of NZ.

The Māori language is spoken by over 125,000 people in NZ, according to the 2013 census. Today marks a particularly special day.
 
Ngahiwi Apanui, Head of the Māori Language Commission, says, "Today is Māori Language Day.  It's a huge day when we remember those who worked tirelessly to promote te reo Māori."

In 1972, Auckland-based Ngā Tamatoa, Victoria University's Te Reo Māori Society and Te Huinga Rangatahi petitioned Parliament to have Māori recognised as an official language of New Zealand.

Lee Smith (Ngāti Kahungunu) says, "That was the beginning of many of the things we have today like kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa."

New Zealand already celebrates Māori Language Week and Māori Language Day.  Now a group of Māori on Facebook are advocating for a Māori language month.

Te Mihinga Komene says, "My challenge to the Māori Language Commission is to support us by making this month a month dedicated to the Māori language."

Te Mihinga is a part of the Facebook group, Te Wero Reo Māori mō te Mahuru.  The users encourage each other to speak Māori 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, even on social media.

Komene says, "Most of my colleagues don't speak Māori, apart from my own team.  The great thing about that is that during our meetings I'm the one encouraging them to speak Māori because everyone knows some Māori."

Te Mihinga and her Mahuru Māori friends will continue to advocate for a Māori language month and hope the Māori Language Commission will jump on board and support their initiative.