December 13, 2022
Taura Whiri honours language battlers
The Māori Language Commission has signed off what it’s calling a watershed year for te reo Māori with its first Māori Language Honours.
The event in Auckland was co-hosted with te reo advocacy body, Te Maataawai.
Taura Whiti chief executive Ngahiwi Apanui says the revival of the language over the past 50 years through initiatives like kohanga reo, kura and wananga has taken huge effort.
Groups like Te Reo Māori Society and Nga Tamatoa who organised the 1972 Māori Language Petition faced racism from pakeha as well as criticism from Maori.
“Hone Harawira pointed it out on the night how often they were told off by kaumatua for what they were doing. You know they were regarded, for want of a better word, as shit-stirrers. And I can remember that. I can remember my own family taking the mickey out of Aotearoa songs and things,” Mr Apanui says.
He says while the event was held in Tamaki Makaurau because of its accessibility. the biggest strides in te reo revival have happened in the regions – where te reo support is much stronger.