25 Hongongoi 2003

Te Reo Aotearoa, Mana Whakahi Aotearoa - Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori 2003

(see below for English version)

E ai ki te Kaiwhakahaere Matua o Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori, a Haami Piripi, he maha te hunga o Aotearoa e haereere ana ki tawahi e tu whakahihi ra i te kite i nga tima hakinakina e whakamahi ana i te haka, ki te kite koru, ki te kite whakairo ranei. Ko te putake o te Wiki o te Reo Maori ki te hiki ake i te mana whakahikia nui ake te hunga e korero Maori ana.

Koia nei te kaupapa mo tenei tau, "Te Reo Aotearoa, Mana WhakahiAotearoa". I tohua tenei wiki kia tu whakahihi mai nga iwi o Aotearoa mo te reo Maori, me ona pumanawa katoa ki te ahua o Aotearoa. Ko tetahi atu tohu mo tenei wiki kia whakamahia te reo i nga tumomo wahi katoa.

E ai ki a Piripi he maha nga momo mahi hei whatoro atu ma te hunga e tautoko ana i te Wiki o te Reo Maori. "He maha nga ropu hakinakina, kaipakihi me nga ropu a-hapori, kei te tautoko i roto i nga mahi konohete, whakaaturanga huarahi, te reo irirangi, nga mahi a Toi, whakakitenga pikitia".

He maha hoki nga rauemi kua hangaia hei whakanui i te Wiki o te Reo Maori, pena i nga kaari mo te waiata ngaringari o Aotearoa hei puru ki roto i nga pahi pakupaku. I tohaina etahi o enei kaari ma te hunga i haere ki Poihakena ki te mataki i te kemu mo te Kapu Bledisloe (i te Paraire te 25 Hongongoi i te taunga wakarererangi i Te Whanganui a Tara). Kua whakaaea etahi ropu kawanatanga kia whakatangihia te waiata ngaringari o Aotearoa ki runga i a ratou mihini waea mo te Wiki o te Reo Maori.

I timata te Wiki o te Reo Maori i te tau 1975. Ko Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori, ko Te Puni Kokiri me Te Kahui Tika Tangata nga kaiwhakahaere mo tenei tau.

E ai ki nga korero a te Kaikomihana mo Te Kahui Tika Tangata a Joris de Bres me tautoko tonu te hunga karekau e korero ana i te reo Maori, kia kaua hoki e whakaiti ka rongo ana i te reo Maori.

E ai ano ki tana, "Ko taku tino hiahia kia whakakaha ake te wairua i etahi ake o te hunga karekau i a ratou te reo Maori".

Ki te korero a te Manahautu o Te Puni Kokiri a Leith Comer i roto i nga kitenga rangahau a Te Puni Kokiri, e kore e ngaro te reo Maori engari ko te wero ke kia "aranga ake".

Kua kitea mai i nga rangahau kua mutu ke te whakaheke o te hunga matatau ki te korero i te reo. Kua mahoi te oranga o te reo. Engari me ako tonu tatou ki te whakamahi i te reo kia ora tonu kia mau taketake.

NZ Reo, NZ Pride - Maori Language Week 2003

Most New Zealanders feel proud when they see the Haka performed by our sports teams or when they see a koru or a bone carving when traveling said Chief Executive of the Maori Language Commission Haami Piripi. The aim of Maori Language Week this year (28 July - 3 August) is to build on this sense of pride and encourage the wider use of te reo.

This year's theme is "NZ Reo, NZ Pride". The week is aimed at encouraging New Zealanders to have a greater sense of pride in the Maori language, and its contribution to the unique New Zealand identity. Another aim of the week is to encourage the wider use of Maori language in a range of different settings.

Mr Piripi says there is a wide range of activities for people to choose from in support of Maori Language Week. "The events include concerts, roadshows, radio shows, art exhibitions, posters, film screenings and theatre being supported by a wide range of sports, business and community organisations".

A range of material has been developed to mark the week, including wallet sized anthem cards to promote the use of Maori language through the NZ national anthem. Some of these cards were given away to supporters who travelled to the last Bledisloe Cup game in Sydney (Friday 25th July, Wellington airport). Some government organisations including Parliament have agreed to play the anthem on their phone system during the week.

Maori Language Week began in 1975 and this year is being coordinated by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori - the Maori Language Commission; Te Puni Kokiri - Ministry of Maori Development and Te Kahui Tika Tangata - the Human Rights Commission.

Race Relations Commissioner Joris de Bres says that non-speakers of Maori have an important role to play by simply encouraging, or at the least not being negative, when Maori language is used.

"I am particularly hopeful that Maori Language Week 2003 will strengthen positive attitudes to the use of te reo amongst non Maori speakers," he said.

Te Puni Kokiri Chief Executive Leith Comer says TPK's latest research shows that the Maori language is no longer under threat of being lost completely, but the challenge now was to concentrate on its "revitalisation".

"Research shows that the continuous decline in the number of Maori speakers has been arrested. The health of the language has stabilised. However, we are not out of the woods, we must continue to learn and use te reo and ensure it not only lives but is vitalised.