Kōrero mai, kōrero atu ki Te Matatini
The Māori Development Minister encourages whānau heading to Te Matatini in Christchurch next week to use as much Māori
language as they can.
The Māori Language Commission has just launched a “kōrero mai” campaign to urge those attending Te Matatini 2015 to
speak te reo Māori day in and day out.
“If we’re serious about the survival of Māori language, we’ll take every opportunity we can to use it. Te Matatini is
that perfect opportunity – thousands of whānau, four days of topnotch kapa haka and lots of kōrero,” says Te Ururoa
Flavell.
According to Census 2013, more than half Māori adults can speak some te reo Māori and one in five can hold a
conversation in te reo.
Mr Flavell says whānau Māori need to rise to the challenge if the language is going to survive.
“We know it takes one generation to lose a language and three generations to get it back so I applaud the Māori Language
Commission for challenging us to speak as much Māori as we can while we’re at one of the largest Māori events on the
calendar.”
Mr Flavell will be attending most of the Te Matatini festival in Christchurch next week wearing a “kōrero mai” hat or
sticker.
“Those of us who can hold a conversation in te reo Māori should encourage those who aren’t so fluent to give it go. This
campaign will identify those people who are keen to be spoken to in Māori,” he says.
In Parliament this week, Mr Flavell encouraged other MPs to attend the biennial festival so they can “feel, hear and see
te ao Māori” in action. More than 30,000 people are expected to attend the festival over the four days.
Kōrero mai, kōrero atu ki Te Matatini
E whakahau ana te Minita Whanaketanga Māori i ngā whānau e haere ana ki Te Matatini ki Ōtautahi ā tērā wiki kia kaha te
kōrero i te reo Māori e āhei ana rātou ki te whakamahi.
I whakarewaina e Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori tētahi kaupapa “kōrero mai’ hei akiaki i te hunga e haere ana ki Te
Matatini 2015 kia kōrero Māori i te ao, i te pō
“Mehemea e āta arotahi ana tātou ki te orangatonutanga o te reo Māori, kia whai mea angitu tātou ki te kōrero i te reo i
ngā wā katoa e taea ana. Ko Te Matatini tērā tino āheinga – e hia mano whānau, e whā rā o te mahi kapa haka tino pai
rawa atu me te nui o te kōrero,” te kī a Te Ururoa Flavell.
E ai ki Tatauranga ā-Motu i 2013, neke atu i te haurua o ngā pākeke Māori e āhei ana ki te kōrero i te paku reo Māori,
ā, ko tētahi tangata kotahi i roto i te tokorima tāngata e āhei ana ki te whakawhitiwhiti kōrero ki te reo Māori.
E kī ana a Minita Flavell me hiki mānuka ngā whānau Māori kia ora tonu ai te reo.
“Mō te taha tōrangapū, e manawanui ana au ki te whakaahu whakamua i te Pire Reo Māori, mā reira e kōkirihia ai e te
whānau, te hapū, te iwi hoki ngā kawenga o te Karauna ki te tiaki, ki te whakatairanga hoki i te reo.
“Heoi, me hāpai e tēnā, e tēnā o tātou te mahi. Mōhio nei tātou ka ngaro te reo i te whakatupuranga kotahi, ā, ka toru
whakatupuranga kia whakaarahia anō te reo”, tāna kī.
Ka tae atu a Mita Flavell ki te nuinga o te ahurei o Te Matatini ki Ōtautahi ā tērā wiki, ā, ka mau i a ia te pōtae, te
pipiri rānei e mea ana “kōrero mai”.
“Tātou nei ko te hunga e āhei ana te whakawhitiwhiti kōrero ki te reo Māori me akiaki tātou i te hunga kāore anō kia
matatau kia kaha te karawhiu,” tāna kī.
I te Whare Pāremata i tēnei wiki, i whakahau atu a Minita Flavell i ngā Mema Pāremata kia haere rātou ki te ahurei ka tū
ia rua tau, kia taea ai e rātou te “te pā atu, te rongo atu, te kite atu hoki i te ao Māori” e tū mauri rere ana. Ko te
whakapae neke atu i te 30,000 tāngata ka tae atu pea ki te ahurei i ngā rangi e whā.
ends