Words By Ashleigh Putt-Fallows (she/her) | Ngāti Whātua, Ngāpuhi-Ngāti Hine, Tūhoe
There are plenty of reasons I could list as to why Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is important. I could write about how the freedom to speak our reo was stolen from our tūpuna, and how those attitudes are being reflected in the words and actions of those in power today. I could talk about the fight for revival—the Kōhanga Reo movement, the kia ora controversy, the Waitangi Tribunal claim that led to Māori becoming an official language in the Māori Language Act in 1987, or even the significance of this week to the very home of the magazine your reading.
After all, it was Ngā Tamatoa, Te Hohaieti o te reo Māori and the NZ Māori Students Association that presented over 30,000 signatures to parliament that created Māori Language Day (14th September). All of these would be stand-alone reasons - that you should already know about, but this pūrongo will focus on more personal reasons.
My tūpuna was one of many that lost our reo while it was being suppressed in kura in favour of English. This prevented my kuia from learning, and then my dad, and eventually my younger sister and I. It was not just the loss of knowledge that stopped my tūpuna from passing down our reo but the fear of societal rejection and the goal to protect our whānau from racist and harmful treatment. This was also around the time we lost our strong connection to our marae and iwi, as the denial of identity came with the denial of my tūpuna right to speak and hold this taonga.
If you grow up outside of Te Ao Māori or distanced from that part of your identity, it can feel like something is missing, so when something comes along that connects you to that, it's a great feeling, even if that something is not the best situation, or accesses Te Ao Māori through a pākehā lens. Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, along with Kapa Haka and maybe a marae trip, is one of the first Māori things tamariki are introduced to when living outside of Te Ao Māori; it's not always a great introduction, but it’s important, particularly for what is considered the lost generation.
For me, Kapa Haka was my introduction in primary school, but Te Wiki o te Reo Māori was one of the first kaupapa I got to take the lead on while being old enough to fully appreciate it, one of the first times I felt I could loudly and confidently claim to be Māori. Te Reo Māori and its revitalisation as a whole hold a special place in my and many people's hearts, me and my kuia learnt somewhat together at the same time. While I wish it had never been taken to begin with, I find warmth in the fact that we have come together in different ways to preserve it. That is why it is important to me.
Te Wiki o te Reo Māori has been a celebration of a taonga since 1972, before te reo Māori became an official language in Aotearoa. A recognition of this as a revitalisation effort and, in turn, to those involved in its creation is incredibly important to me, and it should be to you as well. While I am speaking of Te wiki o Te Reo Māori specifically in this pūrongo it is a part of a much broader movement which should also be acknowledged, as well as the people who fought for us to have our taonga rightfully back with us. Whatungaronagro te tangata, toitū te whenua.
In 2024, Te Wiki o te Reo Māori runs from September 14th to 21st—that's this week! The easiest way to celebrate is to kōrero Māori! (Better yet, kōrero all year round).
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