Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Welcome to Radio New Zealand’s special web page celebrating the use of the Māori language.

Radio New Zealand is marking Māori Language Week by greater use of greetings and signoffs on-air, special programming during Afternoons with Jim Mora, more music featuring te reo Māori, and in our regular programmes like He Rourou and Te Ahi Kaa. A variety of other programmes also feature interviews about te reo.

In this series which plays during Afternoons with Jim Mora, Jim talks with a variety of speakers at Māori TV about Māori issues and stories. Each conversation involves the use of te reo Māori.

In addition, we’re making these archival programmes, which explore the development of Māori Language Week, available as audio on demand.

Haare Williams speaks with educationist and North Shore school teacher Toby Rikihana (Te Arawa) and John Rangihau (Tūhoe), a lecturer at Waikato University. They discuss the importance of te reo Māori during Māori Language Week 1972. The programme is introduced by Henare Williams.

Pat Roberts introduces basic Māori words with explanations.

Bishop Muru Walters talks about saving te reo Māori from extinction. He remembers the times when schools devoted a lot of time and energy to using and learning the Māori language in a variety of ways. Māori Language Week July 1990.

Sir James Henare, Wiremu Parker and Mirika Szaszy talk about the importance of te reo Māori during Māori Language Week, November 1981. The discussion centres around the empowering aspects of written te reo, and the life force principal that the language so richly deserves.

Mirika does not agree with some of Bill’s kōrero, that spoken language is more important than the written word. She believes that the written word is just as vital to the language, and compares this to the idea of an English language without the likes of Shakespeare.

The Māori language is the life force of being Māori.

Wiremu Parker expresses his concern in finding later in life that te reo Māori was not spoken in homes. Tā Hēmi Henare talks about empowering Māori language by taking it into court rooms. Also that English and Māori should sit together as New Zealand’s first languages (not first and second) and that a Bill should be presented.

My language is mine, it is a gift from my forebears, left to me so that I may say the most important thing is people, it is people, it is people.

During Te Wiki o te reo Māori 1978 three well known European people were recorded speaking at a gathering in Te Whanganui-a-Tara.

They were Sir Bernard Fergusson, former Governor General of New Zealand, Presbyterian Minister Rev. Laughton, and Jock McEwen, former Minister of the Department of Māori Affairs, and who is still alive today.

Each acknowledged the Marae, those who have passed on and those who were present at the hui.

This clip opens with a former broadcaster giving a brief history of Te Reo o Aotearoa, Radio New Zealand’s former Māori and Pacific Islands broadcasting Unit, followed by a brief comment from educationist John Rangihau.

Those of you who paved the way that our dreams be fulfilled are now seeing the rewards of the discussions of our elders, I greet you.

To you all the descendants of the Māori People who are listening I greet you all while we work with our children on the many aspects of our Reo. However before discussing the language let me return to what I said earlier about our existence being most important, that it is people, it is people.

Whai Ngata opens with an old prayer and leaves the closing remarks to Haare Williams to end the programme.

Haare acknowledges Matiu Te Hau (who began the programme) and Radio NZ for their valued assistance, and for the values that he, his co-workers, and listeners learned from the exercise.

Audio trailers for Māori Language Week featuring prominent New Zealanders:

kōrero Māori provides a user-friendly introduction to the Māori language.

Te Taura Whiri, the Māori Language Commission, has a lot of background information about te reo Māori, including interactive conversations, language resources, and advice to help you increase your knowledge.

NZ History has a list of 100 key words and phrases in te reo.