Haami Piripi: Nurturing te reo will benefit all in our land

You can always tell when a language is alive and well by its vibrancy as a preferred means of communication. This in turn is a reflection of the extent to which the people of a language acquire and use it - and the extent to which a society values its status and is committed to its retention.

It follows that the responsibility for preserving and protecting the Maori language falls upon all of us as New Zealanders.

It requires people to learn and use it as an everyday means of communication and it requires legislative and policy imperatives that encourage its status and use among all New Zealanders.

On both these fronts there is much work to be done.

There are many reasons for language decline - the trick is to plan ahead, focusing on what we need to achieve and how.

It would be safe to assume that all New Zealanders care to see the Maori language preserved and protected as a language of use, and as a human right. But how many New Zealanders, Maori or Pakeha, consider the language to have a place in their own lives?

Whether it be an honest attempt at correct pronunciation, or someone's inaugural mihi, anyone's desire to learn and use the language ought to be nurtured with respect and recognition of the long way back to preferred language status.

Nevertheless, new Maori words and genre are continually emerging as a sign of language life among Maori communities nationwide. The real challenge will be whether there is enough critical mass to save the language nationally.

The most logical source of support for the Maori language are our cousin languages of the Pacific. Nowhere is this more possible that in Auckland, the largest Polynesian city in the world. In less than a decade the entire demographic landscape of Auckland will reflect Polynesian cultures, languages and presence.

The myth of the homogenous Kiwi-British lookalike has withered with time and the diversity of New Zealand cultures is now considered a unique asset. But the most special asset is our indigenous language, exemplified by Te Rauparaha's haka and the national anthem.

New Zealand's international image is now defined by the Maori language and culture and we must expect that this phenomenon will continue to grow in the coming decades. And why not?

Maori and Pacific Island youth have a huge untapped source of potential that should be harnessed for the country's benefit rather than wasted in prisons, to the country's detriment.

We only have to look to sport and recreation to see the contribution that Maori and Pacific Island icons have made to this country's history.

This year the Maori Language Commission has made inroads into the Maori sporting community, offering language as a medium. Language and sport are each powerful incentives for personal growth and enhanced learning opportunities for participants.

The sports field is becoming a new domain for the Maori language.

The new global environment within which we live provides many opportunities for marketing our language and cultural difference to the world.

But public institutions, as well as willing learners and speakers, must also recognise the changing face of New Zealand.

During the past year, Maori became the forty-second language available in Microsoft Office and Word. That portal has an ability to introduce other Pacific languages and provide an ICT network to Pacific Islands.

Information technology has become the new waka of the Polynesian navigator and the commission has developed a method for banking language in an electronic database. This development can be used to support language retention and expansion between our islands of the Pacific.

New Zealand society is poorer for its historic inability to integrate Maori language and culture into its psyche. However, the cultural renaissance and acceptance by New Zealanders of the Maori language bodes well for our future.

The celebration of Matariki, for example, is an excellent example of a positive iconic event that all New Zealanders can enjoy equally.

With the growing presence of reo in Maori and mainstream media, the place of our official language is becoming more certain.

This has been reflected in research that indicates Pakeha and other immigrant attitudes are becoming more positive towards the language and the efficacy of its existence.

These developments create an atmosphere of optimism for the survival of the language.But to a large extent this still depends on government investment in Maori as a language of use capable of carrying powerful messages across all mediums and in all situations for all people.

* Haami Piripi is chief executive of the Maori Language Commission.