Next week New Zealand/Aotearoa celebrates Māori Language Week.
Māori Language Week has been celebrated in Aotearoa since 1975. This special week is an opportunity for the concentrated celebration and promotion of te reo Māori, helping to secure its future as a living, dynamic, and rich language.
In the mid-20th century, there were concerns that the Māori language was dying out. The future of te reo Māori was the subject of a Waitangi Tribunal claim in 1985. The tribunal’s recommendations led to far-reaching legislative and policy changes. Māori became an official language of New Zealand in 1987. Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori was established in the same year to promote te reo.
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is part of a broad Māori language revival programme and raises public awareness for Māori language learning and public usage. Mahuru Māori is an initiative begun in 2017 to promote the use of te reo Māori throughout September.
Kaiako (teachers) will be giving extra celebration and promotion of te re Māori over the week. This is an example of us working towards our second strategic goal
Increasing ākonga and kaiako knowledge of and engagement with te ao Māori.