Māori Language Moment Dedicated To The People Of Auckland: 1.07 Million+ Signed Up

With hours to go until the Māori Language Moment 2021, more than 1 million New Zealanders have already joined the commission’s online Māori language movement. Organisers have dedicated this year’s Māori Language Moment to the people of Auckland who are continuing to battle the COVID Delta outbreak and will remain in level 4 lockdown for another week.

“We dedicate our Māori Language Moment to the people of Tāmaki Makaurau as they continue to go hard on all of our behalf,” said Māori Language Commission chief executive, Ngahiwi Apanui.

“Our language is still endangered, but winning it back isn’t a sprint: it’s a marathon. Beating COVID is also about the long game, it’s about endurance. Kia kaha Tāmaki! Kia kaha Aotearoa!”

The commission is calling for all organisations and individuals who haven’t: to sign up and be counted.

In spite of COVID the momentum behind te reo this year has been massive. The total number of people who have pledged to celebrate te reo since the commission began the online campaign a year ago now stands at 1.07 million. Participants who have signed up their organisations or themselves (as individuals) to the Māori language movement are now all counted.

Māori Language Commissioner Professor Rawinia Higgins also paid tribute to Aucklanders as well as essential workers and volunteers across Aotearoa:

“Right now, New Zealanders are showing the rest of the world what kind of people we are.

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata. He tangata. He tangata.

What is the most important thing in the world? It is people. It is people. It is people.”

The commission is encouraging all supporters of te reo to celebrate the language in some way, from wherever they are at 12pm tomorrow, the 14th September 2021.

You can tune into the commission’s own Māori Language Moment just before 12pm where a special broadcast of a short video showcasing the revitalisation of te reo will play. This will be available to view after (so if you are having your own moment you can still stream it later )

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tewikiotereomaori

Youtube account: www.youtube.com/reomaori.

This will be available to view after (so if you are having your own moment you can still stream it later)

© Scoop Media