Maori Language Week - Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori

A language revives

Māori language school class

Every year since 1975 New Zealand has marked Māori Language Week. This is a time for all New Zealanders to celebrate te reo Māori (the Māori language) and to use more Māori phrases in everyday life. In 2011 Māori Language Week is from 4–10 July, the theme is 'Manaakitanga –  how we make people feel welcome when they are in our company, and how we give regard to and care for others when hosting visitors'.

Te reo Māori is undergoing a resurgence and more people speak the language. There are Māori language schools, Māori radio stations, and in 2004 a Māori television channel began broadcasting. There was a time when some people objected to hearing Māori greetings such as kia ora. The campaign to revive the language has been long.

The future of te reo Māori was the subject of a claim before the Waitangi Tribunal in 1985. The tribunal's recommendations were far-reaching. Māori became an official language of New Zealand in 1987, alongside English. Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission) was established in the same year to promote te reo. Along with the Human Rights Commission and Te Puni Kōkiri, it plays a key role in the annual Māori Language Week.