The priceless value of te reo Māori

Thursday, 12 September 2019

OPINION: Te reo Māori is the language of Aotearoa.

It's what makes our country unique and it can connect all New Zealanders to the story of who we are.

Earlier this week, Dr Will Edwards, of Te Reo o Taranaki (an organisation which has worked for three decades to revitalise the language in the region), told me he was encouraged by the high demand for courses designed to teach people basic te reo.

But he also believed it was imperative for it to be understood how Māori language use had been badly impacted by the wrongs of the past too. 

Sadly, there was a time in our nation's history when Māori children were beaten at school by their teachers for speaking their language.

**READ MORE:

* Reo rua ā mua: How Kiwis might talk in 2040

* One million Kiwis to speak te reo: The plan behind revitalising the Māori language

* Huge interest in learning te reo in Taranaki**

The abuse had the desired effect and stopped those targeted from using their reo or passing it on to their children, creating an intergenerational language disconnection for some whānau.

Thursday's announcement of the inclusion of Aotearoa's history in the curriculum of all schools and kura kaupapa by 2022 will be useful to educate the younger generation regarding the forces that made such a tragedy possible.

Topics covered will include New Zealand's early colonial history, the Treaty of Waitangi and the colonisation of the country.

Ongoing settlements between iwi and the Government have been made to address the widespread land loss and cultural impacts suffered by Māori  because of repeated treaty breaches by the Crown.

This has helped create what has become the powerhouse Māori economy worth $50 billion, making iwi  major economic players in anyone's language.

So within that context, it makes business sense to add an understanding of te reo and cultural protocols to the list of core competencies employers look for when recruiting staff. 

However, it's important to never reduce it down to just another set of skills.

The ability to learn and use te reo and be exposed to te ao Māori (the Māori world) can be a life-changer. 

I am nearly at the end of my second year of learning te reo and as an adult student, it is not easy and constantly takes me out of my comfort zone but every week I keep turning up to class.

Every morning, I religiously recite karakia, some days I practice waiata during the car ride to work and I always try to use te reo to mihi (greet) people or bid them farewell.

It is a privilege to listen to my kaiako (teachers) and their kōrero but as a person of Aotearoa, I also think it's my responsibility to do what I can to uphold the rightful place te reo has in our country.

The Māori language is an asset and one that each and everyone one of us can protect, one kupu (word) at a time.

Okea ururoatia (keep fighting, strive).