Winston Peters’ te reo attacks: ‘The language will be driven by our people’, Ngāti Kahungunu iwi says

Ngāti Kahungunu chairman Bayden Barber says Winston Peters and coalition rhetoric is trying to "turn back the clock". Photo / NZME

Hawke’s Bay iwi leaders are urging those who want the use of te reo Māori normalised to “speak it more than ever before” to prevent the coalition Government’s agreement “turning the clock back” on years of progress.

Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters has been consistent in voicing his concerns about the prevalence of te reo Māori in Government departments and on Monday extended that to state-owned media outlets.

Ngāti Kahungunu chief executive Bayden Barber said it was “unfortunate and disappointing” to hear Peters’ comments and the plans cited by the new coalition, saying it would be scaling back on years of progress.

“Governments come and go, and this government clearly has an agenda to turn the clock back for te reo Māori,” Barber told Hawke’s Bay Today.

Peters has previously justified his criticism of te reo Māori names for government departments by saying “communications is about comprehension and understanding”.

The recent agreement struck between New Zealand First and National includes requiring public service departments to “have their primary name in English, except for those specifically related to Māori”.

It also included a requirement that “public service departments and Crown Entities ... communicate primarily in English”.

“Clearly they don’t value te reo as past governments have. Even past National governments have valued it more than this government,” Barber said.

During the election, Peters campaigned on stripping government departments of te reo Māori names, saying at the time it was “not an attack on the Māori language - it’s an attack on the elite virtue signallers who have hijacked language for their own socialist means”.

The language had seen a significant resurgence in the last few years, Barber said, and it was worrying to hear someone many would describe as a kaumatua speak as Peters had.

“It totally amazes me. Winston would be seen as a kaumatua on my marae, and to say things like that about our language is totally uncalled for and disappointing.”

Jeremy Tātere Macleod, who spearheaded Kahungunu’s language revitalisation campaign for 13 years, said it was clear a lot of work had been done in the region and support was widespread for the language within the community.

“Ngāti Kahungunu has worked hard to grow te reo Māori again in this district, and we also have many allies and supporters from all sectors of the community.

“Te reo Māori is an integral part of our nationhood. It enriches our lives, enhances diversity, and unifies us. It does not divide us.”

While he would continue to press the government on their decisions, Barber also noted that the language was “bigger than governments and personalities”.

“My advice to our people is to speak it more than you’ve ever spoken it before. The language will be driven by our people.”

There were plenty of advocates for the language on marae across the district, Barber said.

“As a people and community, speaking the language openly is how we counter that rhetoric and narrative.

“We do need support from the Government, and them retracting that kind of support with losing titles is a step backward, and we’ll be letting them know that.”

Mitchell Hageman joined Hawke’s Bay Today in late January. From his Napier base, he writes regularly on social issues, arts and culture, and the community.