Editorial: Breathing fresh air into Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

Māori language expert Mataia Keepa challenges New Zealanders to give te reo a go. Photo / Andrew Warner

Editorial

EDITORIAL

On marae ātea, when standing to korero, it is protocol to exclaim "tihei mauri ora!" The term literally means the "sneeze of life" but it is considered a claim to the right to speak.

In the context of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, the breath of life has again given to a once dismayingly dying tongue as more people embrace one of our three official languages, which includes English and sign.

Throughout the week celebrating te reo, which ends tomorrow, we have seen and heard a sprinkling of Māori across our daily lives. Alive among us, kia ora.

Calls to add further Māori words to our lives, such as in place names and even to identify our nation, are important conversations and it is refreshing to see this debate being conducted with civility and respect from all sides.

Whether it is time to call our country Aotearoa is something everyone should have a say in (as an aside, one benefit would be getting our Olympic Games squad ahead of Australia in the opening ceremony).

Hopefully, readers have enjoyed trying a little te reo this year, although one we could have all done without was "mate korona", that deadly coronavirus.

Te Hērara Mutunga Wiki (the Weekend Herald) congratulates everyone who has joined in breathing fresh life into the language which makes us a richer and more vibrant nation.

Kia kaha, Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.