Media Release

11 o Whiringa ā Rangi 2016

Māori Television honoured to receive award for Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori Champion 2016

He hōnore nui mō Whakaata Māori ki te whiwhi i te tohu Toa mō Te Wiki o te Reo Māori i te pō tuku taonga mō Ngā Tohu Reo Māori i Ngāmotu. I mihi atu a Paora Maxwell, Tumuaki o Whakaata Māori ki ngā tautapa katoa mō tō rātou kaingākau ki te whakaora i te reo Māori, ka whakamihi atu ia ki te kaha o Radio New Zealand me Tūwharetoa FM ki te tū hei tautapa i te wāhanga ki Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori.

“Autaia tonu te roa o te huarahi kua takahia e tātou ki te whakaora i tō tātou reo. Mai i ngā tau 70 me te 80 i roto i te mātatoru o te porotēhi me te petihana, tae noa ki te whakatūtanga o ngā Kōhanga Reo, ngā Kura Māori, ngā Whare Wānanga, ngā Reo Irirangi Māori, Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori, me Whakaata Māori anō hoki. Tēnei te tuku mihi atu ki ērā atu o ngā tari whakahaere i tautoko mai ki te angiūtanga o Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. Te Komihana Tikanga Tangata, Te Tāhūhū o Te Mātauranga, Te Puni Kōkiri me ētahi atu,” te kī a Paora Maxwell. “Ka huri anō hoki ahau ki te mihi ki aku kaimahi o Whakaata Māori mō tō rātou ngākau nui mārika, me tō rātou ngaiōtanga. Mehemea karekau ēnei kaimahi e whakapau kaha ana, karekau e tutuki ā mātou whāinga me ā mātou ūaratanga. Ka mihi anō ki a Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori mō te whaiwhakaaro mai ki a Whakaata Māori i te pō tuku taonga mō tēnei tau. Ka kohia ake e au tēnei taonga mō te taha ki te Poari me ngā kaimahi o Whakaata Māori.”

Māori Television is honoured to receive the award for Māori Language Week Champion at the Māori Language Awards in New Plymouth this evening. Chief Executive for Māori Television Paora Maxwell, acknowledged all the finalists for their commitment to revitalising te reo Māori and commended the efforts of Radio New Zealand and Tūwharetoa FM for being finalists in Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori category.

“We have all come a long way on this language revitalization journey. From the 70’s and 80’s of protests and petitions to the establishment of kōhanga reo, kura Māori, wānanga, Māori radio, Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori and of course Māori Television. I would like to also acknowledge all those other agencies who have contributed to the success of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. The Human Rights Commission, the Ministry of Education, Te Puni Kōkiri and others,” says Paora Maxwell.

“I would particularly like to thank and acknowledge my staff at Whakaata Māori, for their absolute dedication and professionalism. Without their hard work we would not be able to achieve our goals and objectives. Thank you again to Te Taura Whiri i Te Reo Māori for acknowledging Whakaata Māori in this year’s awards. I accept this award on behalf of the board and staff of Whakaata Māori.”

ENDS

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