Te reo masthead to mark Maori Language Week

It is 25 years since Maori was declared an official language of New Zealand. Photo / Thinktock

To mark the first day of Maori Language Week, the Herald appears today with its masthead translated into te reo as "Te Herora o Aotearoa".

It is 25 years since Maori was declared an official language of New Zealand.

In 1987, Maori Affairs Minister Koro Wetere told Parliament that te reo Maori was not only for Maori, but for the whole nation.

The enabling act also established Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Maori, the Maori Language Commission. Its chief executive officer, Glenis Philip-Barbara, said the theme for this year's language week was about loving the language.

"As Hon Wetere said all those years ago, the Maori language and culture belongs to everyone. Inclusiveness, shared responsibility and working together are core Maori values and are also part of this year's theme - Arohatia te Reo. We encourage everyone to find ways to show their love for the language."

While symbolic, the Herald masthead change is designed to draw attention to the week and to content in the paper each day. Coverage will include stories and, tomorrow, an editorial translated in te reo.

Today, we talk to an academic who is researching the language's changing sound.

E nga iwi o Aotearoa, tena koutou katoa.