Rangatahi encouraged across Aotearoa to celebrate te reo Māori

As Te Wiki o te Reo Māori begins, she is encouraging rangatahi across Aotearoa New Zealand to give life to the theme of the week, Kia Kaha te Reo Māori.

The Minister for Māori Development, Hon Nanaia Mahuta says increasing the number of rangatahi who can speak te reo Māori is crucial for the future of the language.

As Te Wiki o te Reo Māori begins, she is encouraging rangatahi across Aotearoa New Zealand to give life to the theme of the week, Kia Kaha te Reo Māori.

"There are events taking place all over Aotearoa that encourage people to celebrate te reo Māori. I heard of everything ranging from parades to te reo Māori yoga sessions to Karanga and whakkōrero workshops.

"It is heartening to see each year how more and more rangatahi from diverse backgrounds are embracing these sorts of events," Minister Nanaia Mahuta says.

"Rangatahi is a target group in the Maihi Karauna (the Crown Māori language strategy) and their participation in active learning and speaking the language is a key focus.

"We launched the Maihi Karauna in February and are well underway with implementation of the first wave of initiatives. We have had rangatahi workshops across the country to get their feedback on innovative ways that would increase the uptake of learning and speaking the language amongst both Māori and non-Māori youth," Minister Mahuta says.

"These initial workshops are a stepping stone toward a National Rangatahi Summit in December, to gather more insight about the attitudes of rangatahi to te reo Māori.

"As well, a social marketing campaign will be launched to build critical awareness amongst rangatahi of their role in the revitalization of te reo Māori.

"A number of other activities are also underway. I look forward to finding out how rangatahi respond to the Snap-Reo initiative launched this week by Te Māngai Pāho - a pilot series of quick, humorous micro-lessons in te reo Māori designed to improve vocabulary and idiom," Minister Mahuta says.

"Last week the Ministry of Education launched Kauwhata Reo – a new central online hub for te reo Māori education resources – making them available and accessible to everyone on one central platform.

"This year is also the UNESCO Year of Indigenous Languages which provides a platform to raise global attention on the risks confronting indigenous languages around the world. Our strategy – the Maihi Karauna complements and supports UNESCO by implementing a cross-agency approach responsible for creating a New Zealand society where te reo Māori is valued, learned and used.

"I congratulate everyone in their efforts to promote, speak, encourage and support Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. Every time we use te reo Māori we are actively contributing to the revitalization of the language – and in doing so also help strengthen our national identity," Nanaia Mahuta says.

(With Inputs from New Zealand Government Press Release)