RTB: A country’s journey to become a te reo Māori nation

Through acts of assimilation and racism, te reo Māori has been pushed to the brink of extinction. In recent years, millions of dollars have been poured into language revitalisation, yet fewer than 20 percent of Māori can speak te reo confidently. Normalising te reo is a language revitalisation strategy viewed as essential for its survival. The strategy advocates learning the language as a national duty, and a taonga for usage by all New Zealanders. Consequently, the uptake of te reo by non-Māori speakers has increased significantly. However, many Māori are feeling left out, unaccounted for and marginalised by the strategy, which they perceive as focusing on Pākehā accessing, speaking, and using te reo Māori. This talk brings to light the complex layers of our country’s journey to become a te reo Māori nation, and attempts to open up conversations and considerations for both Māori and Pākehā.