Media Statement

For immediate release 28 Höngongoi 2006

More chances to win Mäori Language Week Awards

Sports organisations, teams, performing art groups, bands and first time entrants are now eligible to win Mäori Language Week Awards.

Mäori Language Week 24-30 July 2006 comes to an end on Sunday and participating organisations are being encouraged to enter the awards.

Entries to the third annual Mäori Language Week Awards close on 14 August 2006 and the winners will be announced at an awards dinner in Wellington on Mäori Language Day, 14 September 2006.

“This year we have three new awards; sport, art and an inaugural award,” says Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Mäori (Mäori Language Commission), Chief Executive Haami Piripi.

“We decided to add the sport award as the ‘week’ falls right in the middle of the winter sports season. The art award has been created to encourage artists to schedule performances or exhibitions at this time. The inaugural award is being added to encourage new entrants in all categories,” he says.

As well as the three new awards the following categories are up for grabs, print (newspapers), radio, television, business, central government, local body, public library, community, school and tertiary institution.

Overall promotion of the week and awards is coordinated by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Mäori, Te Puni Kökiri and Te Kähui Tika Tangata (the Human Rights Commission).

Ihi Aotearoa SPARC was also involved this year and is encouraging sporting organisations to enter the new Mäori Language Week sports award.

“This year’s activities have been quite innovative with many organisations going the extra mile particularly newspapers, radio and television, government departments, schools, libraries, councils and iwi, says Haami Piripi.

“The awards are a way to recognise the innovative efforts groups, businesses and organisations have made during Mäori Language Week, like the examples listed below” he says.

All entrants into the Mäori Language Week Awards 2006 will also be eligible to receive the supreme Mäori language Week Award which is judged the most outstanding entry received.

Sport was the theme of the week this year and in 2007 it will be tourism.

Examples/Tauira
1. Tauranga based iwi conducted a reo Mäori hïkoi up their ancestral maunga/mountain.
2. TV3 news broadcasts from London showed global participation in reo Mäori.
3. Two major daily newspapers translated their mastheads into Mäori (Waikato Times and Gisborne Herald).

For more information www.nzreo.org.nz

ENDS

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