November 08, 2012
Māori taking reo across Tasman
There's more Māori being spoken in Australia
Victoria University researcher Paul Hamer says the latest Australian Census recorded 8001 Te Reo Māori speakers, compared with 5213 in 2006.
He says the 53 percent jump is bigger than the 38 percent jump in Māoriliving in Australia over the five years.
But he says only 2.4 percent of Australian-born Maori use the language, most aged under 9years old, which might not be sustainable.
That suggests parents were speaking Te Reo Māori to their children, but any gains would be affected by intermarriage, residential and occupational dispersal and a lack of official support.
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