A Cultural Taonga: Te Reo Māori
Te Reo Māori is a taonga — a treasure. It abounds with idioms and phrases that elevate the language itself: māpihi maurea, kuru pounamu, reo rangatira. Those who speak te reo Māori treat it with great respect, as it has been handed down through generations and is unique in the world.
There is understandable solemnity surrounding the use and practice of te reo Māori because it is so precious. At the same time, the movement to revitalise the language is gaining momentum, establishing a stronger foothold in everyday life.
Māori Waiata About Te Reo Māori
E Mīnaka Ana is a waiata that celebrates the Māori language and encourages its strength and vitality.
Kia kaha tātou ki te kōrero Māori
May we all keep our strength to speak Māori
E mīnaka taku waha
My mouth yearns
Ki te kai a te rangatira
For the food of chiefs
Te kai a te rangatira is a metaphor for te reo Māori, derived from the whakataukī:
Te kai a te rangatira, ko te kōrero
The food of chiefs is dialogue.
Taku reo rangatira
My high-born language
Those who speak te reo Māori are recognised as people of status, and fluency in the language is regarded as a great ability.
Taku kuru pounamu tuku iho
My precious greenstone, handed down
Those who speak Māori well feel warmth and affection for the language. It is treasured, like a pounamu passed through generations.
Toku Reo, Toku Ohooho is another waiata celebrating te reo Māori.
Toku reo, toku ohooho
My language, my awakening
This reflects the clarity, identity, and understanding that comes with mastery of te reo Māori.
Māpihi maurea, whakakai marihi
A prized treasure, a valued ornament
The ability to speak Māori is a mark of prestige — a decoration of identity.
Official Protections: 1987 and 2016
Every language is a cultural taonga — a unique mode of expression. Te reo Māori expresses ideas and emotions in ways that cannot be directly translated, such as tuia te muka (weaving flax fibres) or wheriko te moana (the glittering sea).
Protecting language is not unique to indigenous languages. The Académie Française, for example, exists to protect the French language.
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, the Māori Language Commission, was established by the Māori Language Act 1987 (Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori). The Act recognised Māori as an official language of New Zealand, granted the right to speak Māori in legal proceedings, and established Māori radio broadcasting.
This legislation significantly elevated the status of te reo Māori, which had previously been suppressed in schools and official settings during the early twentieth century.
Te Ture mō te Reo Māori 2016 updated the original Act, confirming the rights of all people to use te reo Māori in official settings. It established long-term language strategies and created Te Mātāwai to provide leadership for the health and wellbeing of the Māori language.
While welcomed as a positive step, the success of the 2016 Act was understood to depend on visible outcomes and continued commitment.
Progress Since 2016
Major cultural events such as Te Ahurei Toi o Tāmaki (Auckland Arts Festival) now acknowledge te reo Māori as a living treasure and an integral part of everyday life.
In 2019, the Prime Minister launched the Kotahi Rau Pukapuka Trust, aiming to translate and publish 100 books in te reo Māori. Works include translations of Shakespeare, Hemingway, J.K. Rowling, Dr. Seuss, Paulo Coelho, and an ongoing translation of Maya Angelou’s poetry.
Te Waituhi o Tāmaki (Auckland Writers Festival) has committed to hosting more sessions entirely in te reo Māori.
Public life increasingly features Māori kōrero. Businesses publish mission statements in te reo Māori, airlines offer information in Māori, and banking services are available in the language.
Perhaps it is only a matter of time before te reo Māori becomes a true lingua franca.