Dean Mahuta: Take te reo Maori into digital media

Our parents and grandparents' generation grew up in strong Maori communities that were predominately centred on marae, around the knowledge of one's culture.

Today this knowledge has extended to other areas. Maori language immersion schools for example, do well in ensuring our tamariki have a solid grasp of their indigenous culture and language.

But what happens after our young people leave the classroom, or move away from their tight-knit community of speakers of te reo Maori?

Similarly, what happens to our non-Maori speakers and learners of te reo Maori who only have the opportunity to practice the language within an education institution? What happens to them when they leave the four walls of formative schooling and university education?

This is where social media, and more broadly digital media, can be a driving force. Digital media, is becoming a platform that is used to create virtual communities - a virtual network of speakers - where the Maori language can be used.

Active and conscious social use of te reo Maori is the key to keeping the language alive

We need to see more speakers and learners of te reo Maori using the language more actively and consciously on social media to maintain, develop, and strengthen the language in contemporary New Zealand.

On Facebook, we see more and more people using te reo Maori between friends who are known speakers of te reo Maori. It is positive to see it start to become the digital platform where an indigenous language is starting to thrive.

We also see proponents of the language using bilingual posting on Facebook. They subscribe to the idea that we should not just post in one language because we can speak the language - we should post in the language and translate it too because we want others to learn the language. Language learning should be inclusive, not exclusive.

Twitter has also become a digital space where other speakers of te reo Maori can converse and share similar ideas in the language through the use of hashtags like #tereomaori, #koreromaori, and #TeWikiOTeReoMaori.

However, Facebook and Twitter are just two examples of how a social media space is being used to create virtual te reo Maori communities. We need to start thinking about how we can expand the use of te reo Maori further into other digital communities.

YouTube is an untapped space for people to speak about their world, their worldview, in te reo Maori. Currently, this space is predominantly occupied by mainstream television news organisations like Maori Television and TVNZ. There are extremely few individuals who are creating their own content in te reo Maori - this needs to change.

The aim now is to create a new cohort of young te reo Maori speakers who feel just as comfortable conversing online in te reo as they do with their grandparents, in formal situations, at home, in their marae, or in their community.

Transforming digital media into a te reo Maori space is about communicating cultural knowledge of the language in a modern space and reinforcing and maintaining the critical mass that has been created in the past 30 years.

Proponents of language revitalisation need to think about how our indigenous languages can be used in everyday digital interactions so that it can benefit those learning the language.

Let's talk about our contemporary world in te reo Maori. Let's write game reviews and TV reviews in te reo Maori. Let's have a cooking blog in te reo Maori. YouTube is the new TV so let's jump on that bandwagon where an audience for this content already exists - let's do it in te reo Maori.

Yes, it can be hard to maintain our social accounts with fresh, engaging, content. It requires, time effort, and commitment - but it's worth it if it means keeping our language rich and alive.

It's about building a strong sense of community and seeking new ways to support Maori and non-Maori students in their journey towards greater proficiency in te reo Maori. Social and digital media is a space that enables learners and speakers of te reo Maori to connect with one another.

Dr Dean Mahuta is a senior lecturer at Te Ara Poutama, AUT's faculty of Maori and indigenous development, and associate director of Te Ipukarea, AUT's national Maori language institute. He is currently researching the need for indigenous peoples to begin occupying digital spaces, and taking ownership of their own digital identity.

Maori language in New Zealand

Results of the Te Kupenga survey carried out by Statistics NZ show that in 2013 an estimated 257,500 (55 per cent) Maori aged 15 and over self-report an ability to speak te reo Maori, defined as more than a few words or phrases of the language. This compares to the results of the Te Puni Kokiri survey on the health of Maori language in 2001 which found 153,500 (42 per cent) Maori adults reported some ability to speak te reo Maori.

* 257,500 (55 per cent) Maori adults had some ability to speak te reo Maori; that is, they were able to speak more than a few words or phrases in the language. This compares with 153,500 (42 per cent) in 2001.

* 50,000 (11 per cent) Maori adults could speak te reo Maori very well or well; that is, they could speak about almost anything or many things in Maori.

* Between 2001 and 2013 there was a large increase in the proportion of younger Maori who reported some ability to speak te reo Maori.

* 164,500 (35 per cent) Maori adults reported speaking some te reo Maori within the home.

Source: Te Kupenga survey, Statistics New Zealand