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National | Ngahiwi Apanui

Where do Māori fit in Māori Language Week?

The Māori Language continues to gather steam within mainstream society but is at risk of being lost to Māori.

Te Wiki o te reo Māori kicked off today, celebrating 50 years since the presentation of the reo Māori petition to make it an official language. But, how is the health of the language, and what strategies are working?

Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori CEO Ngāhiwi Apanui says while everyone is encouraged to get involved with te reo, the focus must always be on getting more Māori actively involved in the language.

"No one else can claim te reo Māori because they can speak it, not Pākehā, or anyone else that comes to this land.

"Some say it's only one week. But in that one week, the multitudes participate. Over one million over the last two years."

According to Stats NZ New Zealanders are getting better at speaking te reo. However, 5 in 6 Māori adults say they cannot speak Māori.


'This is the land of te reo Māori' - Ngahiwi Apanui.

23% of Māori speak te reo Māori as a first language. People aged between 15-34 years of age are by far the biggest group able to say a few phrases in te reo, a whopping 84%, and 3 in 5 New Zealanders think te reo Māori should be a core subject in primary schools.

And Ngāhiwi says, everyone should know how to speak Māori, no matter who.

"If people decide to live here, they must be able to speak Māori. Because this is the land of te reo."

The private sector has been a huge supporter of Māori language week. From Pak 'n' Save to Spark to Bunnings, companies have got on board to support the week.

Apanui says making te reo accessible to all allows Māori children to see it in a wider context.

"Me whai wāhi te reo ki reira. Kia kite ngā tamariki nei, he wāhanga tō te reo i roto i ngā whakahaere whānui o te whenua nei."
(Te reo must be seen on those platforms so that these children can see that there is a space for the language in the overall running of this country.)