Maori control of Maori language institutions – Maori Party
Te Ururoa Flavell, Maori language issues spokesperson
Maori language promotion must be a joint effort between Treaty partners – and the public institutions responsible must
be accountable to both Maori and the Crown, says the Maori Party.
Te Reo issues spokesperson Te Ururoa Flavell says the Boards of Te Taura Whiri i te reo Maori, the Maori Language
Commission, and Te Mangai Paho, the Maori broadcasting funding body, are all appointed by, and accountable to, the
Crown.
“Maori have no legal or political control over the key agencies responsible for protecting and promoting te reo Maori,”
said Mr Flavell. “This must change.”
“Te Taura Whiri and Te Mangai Paho were set up in response to Treaty-based claims by Maori. The idea was that these
institutions should represent the joint efforts of both Treaty partners – basically, Maori initiative and expertise, and
Crown resources.
“Te Taura Whiri was established as an independent commission reporting directly to the Minister of Maori Affairs, with
its own budget set by Parliament. At the time, Maori accepted in good faith that this structure would work.
“However, the partnership has been lost. With the Public Finance Act and other changes in government control over Crown
entities, Te Taura Whiri is now basically an agent of the Crown, contracted by Te Puni Kokiri, which has control over
budgets and work programme. Te Mangai Paho is much the same.
“It is time to make the partnership work, by reviewing the Maori Language Act that established Te Taura Whiri. Maori
must take their rightful place, not just at the Board table, but where the Boards are appointed and their performance is
reviewed.
“We now have a model to follow – Maori Television, which most people would agree has been a great success, both in its
programming and audience appeal, and also in its management and accountability for taxpayers’ funds.
“The board of MTS has seven members – four appointed by a Maori electoral college, and three, including the Chair,
appointed by Ministers of the Crown. This model clearly works well, and should apply to the other key Maori cultural and
language institutions.
“In calling for change we are not criticising of any member of the boards of Te Taura Whiri and Te Mangai Paho. What we
are saying is that community support is critical to the revitalisation of te reo Maori, and that can be unleashed if the
people see and feel that they ‘own’ these institutions.
“After twenty years, it’s time now to let these organisations fly, by loosening the ties to the Crown that are
strangling Maori vision in planning for Maori language,” he said.
For info contact: Andrew Robb, Media adviser 029- 482 8494
‘Te rangatiratanga o nga pokapü reo Maori’ – te karanga a te Ropu Maori.
Te Ururoa Flavell, mängai mo nga take reo Maori 21 Hongongoi 2008
Me whakatairangatia te reo Maori ma te mahi ngätahi a nga iwi tokorua nana te Tiriti o Waitangi i haina ai – no reira me
aro ake nga pokapü whakatairanga i te reo ki aua iwi tokorua, e ai ki te Ropu Maori.
Hei ta te mängai mo nga take e pa ana ki te Reo, a Te Ururoa Flavell, ko nga poari o Te Taura Whiri me Te Mangai Paho,
he mea tohu na te Karauna anake, he mea aro ake ki te Karauna.
“Kaore he rangatiratanga o nga pokapü whakatairanga i to tatou taonga, i te reo. Me whakarereketia äianei” hei ta Te
Ururoa.
“I whakaturia Te Taura Whiri me Te Mangai Paho hei whakautu ki nga tono a te Maori. Ko te whakaaro i tera wa, kia tu Te
Taura Whiri hei whakatinanatanga i te mahi tahitanga a te tangata whenua me te Karauna kia ora ai te reo – ara, ma te
Maori e kökiri, ma te Karauna e tautoko.
“He pokapü tu motuhake Te Taura Whiri, he korero tika tonu atu ki te Minita, he putea motuhake mana i tohua mai i te
Paremata. I tera wa, ka whakapono te Maori, ka tika tera,” hei tana.
“No muri iho, ka ngahoro. No te whakamanatanga o te Ture Public Finance, me ëtahi atu tikanga whakahaere tari
käwanatanga, kua kähakina Te Taura Whiri hei mökai ma Te Puni Kokiri, nana ke te mana o nga putea me nga kaupapa mahi.
Ka pera ano Te Mangai Paho,” te kii a Te Ururoa.
“Ko te wa tënei mo te whakahou i te Ture Reo Maori, kia whai wahi ai te Maori ki nga whiringa korero mo nga poari o nga
pokapü nei, mo ona kaupapa Maori hoki.
“He tauira mo tatou, ara, ko Whakaata Maori. Nana nga tümanako o te iwi i whakatutuki, ina te pai o nga kaupapa hei
mätakitaki atu; otirä, i te pai o töna whakahaerenga, i te whakamäramatanga o tana whakapaunga putea.
“Tokowhitu nga mema poari o Whakaata Maori – tokowha na Te Putahi Paho i tohu; tokotoru na nga Minita Kawanatanga, a, ko
te Heamana tëtahi o rätou. He tauira pai tënei mo nga pokapü whakapumau i te rangatiratanga o nga taonga Maori.
“Ko ta mätou karanga kia whakahoutia te ture, ehara i te whakaiti i nga mema poari o Te Taura Whiri, o Te Mangai Paho.
Ko ta mätou whakapae, ma te tautoko a te iwi e taea ai te whakatairanga i te reo Maori. Ka taea te tautoko a te iwi ma
te rangatiratanga Maori o nga pokapü nei,” hei ta Te Ururoa.
“Kua pahure nga tau rua tekau, me tukuna nga pokapü nei kia rere, ma te wetewete i nga here a te Karauna e tärona ai
tona kaupapa Maori.”
ends