7 May 2014

Te Kupenga 2013: More opportunities needed for Māori to be able to live their day-to-day lives in te reo Māori

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori is calling for New Zealand to become a more reo-friendly environment, following the release of data from the Te Kupenga 2013 survey.

For Māori to live their day to day lives through te reo Māori, our homes and communities need to be more ‘reo Māori-friendly,’ says Pita Paraone, Chief Executive of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (TTWh).

The statistics reveal that as many as a third of Māori speakers do not speak te reo in the home. This may be because they are isolated from other speakers, or be as a result of negative attitudes to te reo in the community.

“To succeed in our efforts to save te reo Māori, Māori speakers need to be able to live their lives through te reo Māori. To achieve this we need stronger systems in place in broadcasting, in education, in government, and when conducting our day to day business.”

Part of the role of TTWh is to win the hearts and minds of Māori speakers and learners, and to help create reo-friendly environments for Māori speakers when they step out the door.

It is critical that Aotearoa provide the environment for Māori speakers to be able to live and prosper, as this is where the reo will prosper. All New Zealanders have a role in supporting this.

What does Māori language friendly mean? What supports need to be in place for Māori speakers to be equipped to live their day to day lives through te reo Māori?

• The ability to undertake all schooling in quality immersion settings from pre-school.
• Positive attitudes across society about the value of growing and using te reo Māori among speakers and non-speakers.
• Increasing awareness of the need for language transmission, or passing the language to the next generation.
• Growing Māori speaking communities.
• The ability to engage with business and government through te reo Māori.
• Quality broadcasting in radio, media, online.

Te 7 o ngā rā o Haratua 2014

Te Kupenga 2013: Kia nui ake ngā momo tautoko i a tāua te Māori, e māmā ake ai tā tātou kawe i ā tātou mahi o ia rā ki te reo Māori

Nei rā te tono a Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori kia kaha ake te tautoko, te kauawhi a Aotearoa nui tonu i te reo Māori. Koinei tāna whakahoki ki ngā kōrero kua puta ake i te rangahautanga o te tau 2013 e kīia nei ko Te Kupenga.

E taea ai e te Māori āna whakanekeneke o ia rā te kawe ki te reo Māori, me kaha ake ngā kāinga me ngā hapori ki te whakaāhuru i te reo Māori. Koia nei te whakaaro o Pita Paraone, te Tumuaki o Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.

E mea ana ngā tatauranga ko tētahi hautoru pea o te hunga mōhio ki te kōrero Māori, kāore kē e kōrero Māori i ō rātou kāinga. Tērā pea, nā te kore tonu o te hoa kōrero Māori i te kāinga, tērā rānei kua rongo i te ngākau kino mai o ētahi i te hapori ki te reo Māori, ā, kua whakaaro iho hei aha i kōrero Māori ai.

“E kore e tutuki tērā wawata nui o tātou kia tūhauora anō te reo Māori ki te kore te iwi Māori e kōrero Māori i te kāinga. E ngāwari ai te kōrero Māori i te kāinga, me kaha ake ngā pūnaha hāpai i te reo – i te ao pāpāho, i te ao rapu mātauranga, i te kāwanatanga, me ērā atu wāhi katoa e noho tahi ai, e mahi tahi ai te Māori ki ētahi atu.

Ko ētahi o ngā tino mahi a Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, he whakatītina i te hunga kōrero Māori me te hunga e ako ana i te reo, he akiaki anō hoki i ngā taiao o waho kia tautoko i aua hunga ina puta rātou i ō rātou kāinga.

He mea nui kia takoto he taiao i Aotearoa e noho pai ai, e noho ora ai te hunga kōrero Māori. Ā, ina ora ko te hunga kōrero Māori, ka hauora anō hoki ko te reo. He mahi ka taea e ngā tāngata katoa o Aotearoa ki te hāpai i tēnei whāinga.

Kei ui mai tētahi, ‘He aha koia tēnei mea, te tautoko, te kauawhi i te reo Māori? He aha ngā momo tautoko e hiahiatia ana e āhei ai te hunga kōrero Māori te kawe ake i ā rātou mahi katoa ki te reo Māori?’ Ā, ānei ētahi mea nui:

• Kia takoto he ara pai e kuraina ai ngā tamariki rā roto i te reo Māori koia anake, mai i te kōhungahungatanga ā puta noa rātou ki te ao whānui.
• Kia ngākau pai, kia whakaae te motu whānui he hua tonu kei roto i te whakatupu i te reo Māori i waenganui i te hunga kōrero Māori, i waenganui anō hoki i ērā kāore e kōrero Māori.
• Kia mārama ake te iwi whānui, te motu whānui ko te tuku iho i te reo, i tētahi whakatupuranga ki tētahi, koia te tino huarahi e ora noa ai te reo.
• Kia tupu tonu ngā hapori kōrero Māori.
• Kia whakaaetia ko te reo Māori hei kawe i ngā kōrero tahi, ngā mahi tahi a te hunga kōrero Māori i te ao pakihi, i te ao kāwanatanga.
• Kia tuawhiti tonu, kia kairangi tonu ngā mahi pāpāho reo Māori – i te reo irirangi, i te pouaka whakaata, i ngā nūpepa, i te ipurangi, i hea ake rānei.

ENDS

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