Photo by Craig Baxter.
Dunedin Mayor Dave Cull is endorsing Te Reo Maori ahead
of this year's Maori Language Week, which runs from July 1 to
7.
Mr Cull said the Maori language was one of the only things
which set New Zealand apart from the rest of the world, and
therefore it needed to be maintained.
''Not just for Maori, but for all New Zealanders.''
Mr Cull usually began public speeches in Maori and said he
was using more te reo in his everyday dialogue.
''Its popping up more and more in everyday speech; people
talk about their mokopuna, their whakapapa. It's becoming an
integral part of kiwitanga.''
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