Kapa haka doyenne, composer and reo Māori advocate Kuini Moehau Reedy says Te Matatini is continuing to push the language to the farthest corners of the globe.
Reedy (Ngāti Porou) cites the recent arrival of US Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland to Aotearoa and her attendance at Te Matatini.
Haaland is the first indigenous American to hold a cabinet role in the United States. During her visit, Haaland discussed with her counterparts climate change issues and the advancement of indigenous communities here and in the US.
“What a wonderful opportunity. And she is seeking what’s happening here in New Zealand,” Reedy says. “We are so privileged. And we’ve met so many people from all over the world in the last few hours. So that tells us where the language is going, from here to the ends of the earth.”
![US President Joe Biden and his Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland. Photo / Facebook](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/QM7PSTKUW5CHVBLV7VXFK6DPSU.jpg?auth=ed12c3649d7c4b08e6e9242a478312b8a2ec8380cf8af7b83688bc028394d2d5&width=16&height=16&quality=70&smart=true)