PHOTO
This week marks 50 years of Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, first celebrated in 1975, three years following the presentation of Te Petihana Reo Māori, the Māori language petition, on the steps of Parliament.
In 1972, Hana Te Hemara, who first brought the idea to the Māori Language Society, carried the petition to Parliament alongside fellow activists from Ngā Tamatoa, Victoria University’s Te Reo Māori Society and the New Zealand Māori Students’ Association.
That day, more than 30,000 signatures were presented, calling for Māori language and culture to be taught in all New Zealand schools, to both Māori and Pākehā students.
While te reo would not become an official language until 1987, the seeds of revitalisation were planted much earlier.
Te Hemara was just 22 when she laid the petition on the steps of Parliament, the same age I am now, a reminder that transformative movements are so often led by the young.
On campus this week, Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori is impossible to miss.
In Te Pātaka Mātauraka, Central Library, a Māori hītori (history) display greets you as you walk in, dictating the history of the Māori language movement and renaissance in te reo and English.
The tino rangatiratanga flag is also being projected on to a wall, rippling as though caught in the breeze.
The Union lawn and hall have been humming with activities, including bingo, a Te Wiki quiz accessed via QR codes dropped off to students studying at the various libraries, kōrero in reo, Māori sports, poi making, arts and crafts, a frybread-making workshop and more.
Today brings kapa haka and ukulele, mau rākau (Māori martial arts) demonstrations and hāngī to share.
There are also seminars from Prof Poia Rewi and Prof Tangiwai Rewi promising rich reflections and learnings.
Tomorrow, in the Union, Māori language renaissance films will be screening all day, rounding out a whole week’s calendar of celebrations.
The theme this year is "Ake, ake, ake — a forever language".
Learning te reo, like any language, comes with fear of getting it wrong, the whakamā (embarassment) that might silence people before they’ve even begun, let alone reached their potential.
Pronunciation is widely regarded as one of the most significant barriers.
Dr Piata Allen, at Waipapa Taumata Rau, the University of Auckland, is co-leading a project to develop an AI pronunciation coach to aid people learning reo and provide real-time feedback to learners.
At Otago, we are guided by Ngā Kaupapa mō te reo Māori, our Māori Language Policy, recognising te reo as taonga protected under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
This policy allows students to submit work in te reo. Also, it acknowledges the mana whenua of each Otago campus: Kāi Tahu in Ōtepoti and Ōtautahi, Ngāti Toa and Te Āti Awa in Pōneke and Ngāti Whātua in Tamaki Makaurau.
Otago established a Māori Studies department in 1990, which has since evolved into Te Tumu, the School of Māori, Pacific, and Indigenous Studies, offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral studies.
Te Tumu has a rich history, which I enjoyed reading about.
The hītori is a reminder of how far the reo has come on campus, but also a reminder of the people who were carrying this torch all along, from classes of 32 capped students in the early 1980s, to complete and flourishing programmes today that draw learners from across Aotearoa.
Around the world, multilingualism is the norm; here, te reo is a bridge rather than a barrier, a bridge that opens doors to truly understanding the place we study and live in.
This year has also seen the launch of Pūtahi Mahara, a digital time capsule where you can record a message for yourself, or your mokopuna (grandchildren), to be opened in 2075 — the 100th anniversary of Te Wiki.
Inviting users not only to think about what our tūpuna (ancestors) might have said to us, but what we would say to future generations about our commitment to this kaupapa.
The celebrations stretch nationwide, at Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland University of Technology, tauira (students) have designed digital posters around this year’s theme.
Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University, participated in the Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori parade on the Wellington Waterfront and at Ōtakou, our very own Critic Te Ārohi has dedicated a wonderful issue to Te Wiki, showing that our student community across the motu are deeply engaged in this kaupapa.
Fifty years on from the petition, the call to action remains the same: advocating, uplifting, revitalising and celebrating.
Hana Te Hemara sparked a movement at 22. Perhaps acts like attending kapa haka, submitting an assignment in te reo, learning a whakatauki (proverb) to say before dinner, or joining a reo immersion wānanga (class) or night class are ways of carrying the movement forward.
A forever language depends on all of us.
Ngā mihi nui,
Grace.
• Dunedin resident Grace Togneri is a fourth-year law student.