The intergenerational struggle to preserve te reo Māori
It takes one generation to lose a language and three generations to restore it. Ahead of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, Rawinia Higgins, Māori Language Commissioner, writes about why the movement to recognise and restore te reo is as important as ever.
Right now New Zealanders are showing the rest of the world what kind of people we are.
He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata. He tangata. He tangata.
What is the most important thing in the world? It is people. It is people. It is people.
It isn’t easy living in lockdown, separated from the people and places who ground us and make us who we are. In our hardest times, New Zealanders turn to our first language for comfort and solidarity – for manaakitanga and kotahitanga. When our people were murdered in their place of worship on March 15, 2019, we sent aroha to their families. When our young soldiers were killed thousands of miles from home, we welcomed them home with an unforgettable haka. And right now when we see that flashing sign above a deserted motorway that says “kia kaha,” it’s telling us: Don’t give up.
Link to Kia kaha: The intergenerational struggle to preserve te reo Māori | The Spinoff
