June 06, 2017
Karetu shares credit for knighthood
New knight Sir Timoti Karetu says the award in the Queen’ Birthday Honours was also an award for the many people who have battled alongside him to revitalise the Maori language.
Sir Timoti is in Europe with 40 graduates from Te Panekiretanga o te Reo, the invitation-only Institute of Maori Language Excellence he set up at Te Wananga o Aotearoa in 2004 with Professor Pou Temara and Professor Te Wharehuia Milroy.
The group is looking at what countries like Wales, Scotland and Ireland are doing to grow the number of indigenous language speakers.
He says while the number of Maori speakers has declined over the past decade, Maori can’t give in and must keep looking for solutions.
Te Wananga o Aotearoa chief executive Jim Mather says Professor Karetu had set a benchmark of consistent excellence in his many years at the forefront of Maori language revitalisation, and the wananga was proud to be associated with him.
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