August 18, 2021
Maori Language Moment to echo around world
The Māori Language Commission is doubling down on its Māori language moment.
Last year’s Māori Language Week event drew a million registrations from people who said they took time out to celebrate and use te reo Māori, whether through waiata, karakia, or even paddling waka ama.
This year it wants to get 2 million people involved.
Chief executive Ngahiwi Apanui says Te Taura Whiri will host a virtual moment at noon on Tuesday, September 14th – marking the moment when the Māori Language Petition was presented to parliament in 1972.
After registering online via www.reomaori.co.nz, participants can celebrate te reo from wherever they are.
The commission will also ask the Guinness Book of World Records to certify it as a world record.
The 2020 moment has been recognised globally as a leading initiative, most recently winning eight golds at the annual UN-endorsed International Public Relations Awards in London.
Māori Language Commissioner, Professor Rawinia Higgins says it takes one generation to lose a language and three to get it back.
She says te reo needs 1 million speakers by 2040 to be considered safe – and that will require a change in societal attitudes.
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