Maori Language Week 2011
The History of Maori Language Week
In 1972 a petition was presented to Parliament by Nga Tamatoa and Te Reo Maori Society asking that Maori language be promoted. The petition was signed by more than 30,000 people.
These groups established 14 September 1972 as Maori Language day, the same day that the late Hana Te Hemara of Nga Tamatoa and Lee Smith of Te Reo Maori Society presented the petition to Parliament.
In 1975 Maori Language Day became Maori Language Week. The week was later moved by the Education Department to the month of July to fit within the school term.
Te Reo Maori claim
In 1985 Te Reo Maori claim WAI 11 was brought before the Waitangi Tribunal by Nga Kaiwhakapumau i te Reo Maori. The number of Maori speakers was estimated to have fallen to about 12 percent of the Maori population.
Te Reo Maori Report was released by the Waitangi Tribunal in 1986 recommending that Maori language be used in Courts of Law, and that a supervising body is established to supervise and foster the use of the Maori language.
In the following year, 1987, the Maori Language Act was passed in Parliament which declared Maori an official language of New Zealand and established Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori, the Maori Language Commission.
Statistics of fluent speakers
Pre 1840 100% - Maori is the language of Aotearoa New Zealand.
1850s Pakeha becomes the main language spoken in Aotearoa New Zealand.
1913 90% of Maori school children are native Maori speakers.
1985 12% of the Maori population estimated to be Maori language speakers.
1995 8% of Maori adults were highly fluent and of those one third of them were aged over 60 years (National Maori Language survey).
2001 27% of the Maori population spoke te reo Maori fairy well, well or very well (Health of the Maori Language Survey).
Maori language initiatives since 1975
1975
Ngati Raukawa, Ngati Toa and Te Ati Awa initiate Whakatipuranga Rua Mano, a tribal development exercise which emphasises Maori language development.
1978
Ruatoki School becomes the first bilingual school in New Zealand.
1982
Te Kohanga Reo starts to instil Maori language knowledge to Maori infants.
1985
First Kura Kaupapa Maori (Hoani Waititi, Auckland) opens for Kohanga Reo children.
1985
Te Reo Maori claim WAI 11 brought before the Waitangi Tribunal by Nga Kaiwhakapumau i te Reo Maori.
1986
Te Reo Maori Report released by Waitangi Tribunal, recommending that legislation be introduced to enable Maori language to be used in Courts of Law, and that a supervising body be established by statute to supervise and foster the use of the Maori language.
1987
Maori Language Act passed in Parliament which declared Maori an official language and established Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori.
Te Kohanga Reo National Trust established.
1989
Education Amendment Act provides formal recognition for Kura Kaupapa Maori and wananga (Maori tertiary institutions).
Government reserves radio and television broadcasting frequencies for use by Maori.
1993
Maori broadcasting funding agency Te Mangai Paho established to promote Maori language and culture.
More than twenty iwi radio stations broadcast throughout the country.
Mai Time, Maori and Pacific focused youth television programme pilot launched.
1995
He Taonga Te Reo (Maori language year) celebrated.
1996
Aotearoa Television Network broadcasts a trial free-to-air television service in the Auckland area.
Mai Time, now broadcast on a weekly basis.
1997
A total of 675 Te Kohanga Reo and 30 developing Te Kohanga Reo cater to 13,505 children. There are 54 Kura Kaupapa Maori and three whare wananga. Over 32,000 students receive Maori medium education and another 55,399 learn the Maori language.
1998
Government announces funding for Maori television channel and increased funding for Te Mangai Paho.
Government also announces that it has set aside a $15M fund for Community Maori Language Initiatives.
1999
Tumeke, a Maori Language youth programme began screening on Television 4.
2000
Tumeke changes broadcasters and name to Pukana now showing on TV 3.
2001
Government announces its support and management structure for Maori Television channel. Government also announces that it will soon begin allocating the $15M fund.
Health of the Maori Language Survey 2001 shows there are approximately 136,700 Maori language speakers.
2002
Ma te Reo Fund established to support Maori language growth in communities.
2003
7th Polynesian Languages Forum – Te Reo i te Whenua Tipu, Language in the Homeland.
Revised Government Maori Language Strategy launched.
Maori Television Service Act passed in Parliament.
2004
Maori Television Service begins broadcasting 28 March.
First inaugural Maori Language Week Awards held in Wellington 14 September.
2005
30th anniversary of Maori Language Week.
Maori Language Week theme – Korero Maori, Give It a Go / Kia kaha ake.
Korero Maori four year te reo promotion campaign launches.
2006
Maori Language Week theme – Sports.
Attitudes toward Maori Language survey results released.
2007
Maori Language Week theme – Tourism.
2008
Maori Language Week theme – Te Reo i te Kainga, Maori Language in the Home.
He Pataka Kupu – te kai a te rangatira first Maori language monolingual dictionary launched.
Te Reo (100% Maori) TV channel launched.
Google Maori translated and launched.
2009
Maori Language Week theme – Te Reo i te Hapori, Maori Language in the Community
Legal Maori Archive launched.
100 Maori words are installed into the predictive txt function of Telecom’s new third generation phones.
2010
Maori Language Week theme – Te Mahi Kai, The Language of Food.
Progressive Distribution trials bilingual advertising in its Countdown stores throughout Maori Language Week
The Waitangi Tribunal releases Te Reo Maori chapter of WAI 262 report concerning indigenous flora and fauna and Maori cultural intellectual property
- Learn some basic phrases and greetings in te reo Maori
- Learn some phrases for special occasions
- Some ideas for Maori Language Week
Maori Language Week is made possible with the support of: