Joining me live here in the halls of Parliament
is Massey University lecturer Tama Kirikiri.
You were one of the many who joined the parade
for Maori Language Week here in Wellington.
How was that?
It was a great parade.
I went to support my children and their kohanga.
And the masses were walking from here to Te Ngakau
- the new Maori name for Civic Square.
I heard the language being used, by Maori, Pakeha and others
- you heard Maori being spoken right throughout that parade.
Is it something that makes you happy
to hear people of all nationalities using te reo Maori?
Yes.
Most of the time if you speak Maori to someone on the street,
that person responds in Maori.
That's what makes me happy, if you greeted someone in Maori,
they returned it to you regardless of where they were from.
You are at Massey University
working to create a new resource to help the masses
to learn te reo Maori, to enter into the Maori world
or to follow Maori tikanga which is called Toro Mai.
Tell us more about it.
Last year, we had an idea to create a resource like this
for the lot that wants to learn the ways of Maori.
So at the beginning of the year
we launched it to the cities of the world
so people could see that regardless of where in the world they are,
here is a path to start their language journey.
That's technology isn't it?
It's an online programme.
Do you think using technology is a way to revitalise our language?
Yes.
As that is what the younger generations are using.
They were born in the time of Google, YouTube and Fortnite.
We need to follow their interests,
which is technology as a way for their them to learn
te reo Maori and customs.
So you agree with companies using the reo
in their products like Fortnite?
I know we both were worried about playing it
incase we get addicted to it.
Do you like all these different platforms being translated?
If we follow what Hinurewa Poutu's says in her PhD,
we must make the language sexy
to entice everyone.
This is their reality.
If they are using it then Maori language needs to be available.
What we in the Maori revitalisation world
want to do is to have the language spoken everywhere from marae,
on technology, at schools or at the shops.
It's Maori Language Week.
How do you think the language is doing right now?
As I saw from the parade on Monday, our language is gaining strength.
If we look online there's heaps of kaupapa from a lot of regions
celebrating the language.
Many of the organisers are Pakeha.
In previous years, we know it wasn't like that.
Now, we hear that there are many
who want to translate their work places
or positions of work to Maori.
I think it's great for our language.
Thank you for your time, Tame.