Today at 12pm as a school we decided to sing a couple songs in Maori as it is Maori Language week. We sang to celebrate being able to speak Te Reo Maori again! We did this because...
On the 14th of September, 1972, People in New Zealand who are Maori, started a Petition, fighting to able speak their native language. Signatures were sent to the government in parliament to save Maori Language from being forgotten. Before 1972, speaking in Te Reo was forbidden to speak. Forcing people to speak english. As they followed the rules and the law, people forgot their native language: Maori. Maori people weren't able to pass their language down to the next generation, causing Te Reo Maori to decline.
Mahi pai Jahzara,
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly why things like Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori are so important for us to take part in. I cannot even imagine how horrifying it must have felt for Maori to have their language and their culture be against the law to practice. That is why it is our responsibility, as New Zealanders, to make sure that Maori culture is always a part of our culture. Kia mau, Jahzara!