Te Reo Māori Petition (1972)

Te Reo Māori Petition (1972)
Name	Te Reo Māori Petition (1972)
Date	14 September 1972
Place	Wellington, New Zealand
Organisers	Ngā Tamatoa, Māori Women's Welfare League, New Zealand Labour Party?
Signatures	"over 33,000" (claimed)
Presented to	New Zealand Parliament, Prime Minister ?

Te Reo Māori Petition (1972) The Te Reo Māori Petition (1972) was a landmark campaign to secure legal recognition and teaching of the Māori language within New Zealand institutions. Presented in Wellington in 1972, the petition catalysed debates in Parliament of New Zealand, mobilised groups such as Ngā Tamatoa and the Māori Women's Welfare League, and contributed to policy shifts influencing entities like Victoria University of Wellington, Auckland Teachers' College, and NZBC.

Background

By the late 1960s and early 1970s, activists from Ngā Tamatoa, students at University of Auckland, and members of the Māori Women's Welfare League were responding to concerns first articulated in forums such as Waitangi Day protests and publications by figures including Dame Whina Cooper and Sir Apirana Ngata. Influences included historical processes stemming from the Treaty of Waitangi (1840) disputes, land activism associated with Hikurangi and Tāmaki Makaurau, and scholarship from academics at Victoria University of Wellington and University of Otago who drew on work by Elsdon Best and later Māori linguists. Media coverage by outlets such as the New Zealand Herald, The Dominion Post, and programming on NZBC began to reflect rising public debate over the status of Te Reo Māori.

Petition and Presentation

The petition was drafted amid campaigns organised by Ngā Tamatoa and endorsed by the Māori Women's Welfare League and student associations at University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington. It requested recognition of Te Reo Māori in Parliament of New Zealand and formal provision for teaching in schools and broadcasting on channels linked to NZBC and community radio such as Te Reo Irirangi. Presented to the New Zealand Parliament in Wellington on 14 September 1972, the petition was delivered during debates involving members from the New Zealand Labour Party, the New Zealand National Party, and MPs with Māori electorates such as Māori seats representatives. Coverage appeared in outlets including The Listener and regional papers like the Waikato Times.

Signatories and Organisation

Organisers included activists from Ngā Tamatoa, leaders from the Māori Women's Welfare League, and student groups at University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington. Prominent individuals associated with the petition movement included advocates linked to names such as Dame Whina Cooper, Sir Apirana Ngata’s intellectual legacy, and younger activists who later worked with institutions like Te Puni Kōkiri and Waitangi Tribunal. Signatories came from iwi and hapū across regions including Te Tai Tokerau, Tāmaki Makaurau, Waikato, Taranaki, Te Tai Rāwhiti, and Te Tai Hauāuru and involved community organisations, church groups like Ringatū and Rātana, and kapa haka roopu associated with marae networks.

Government and Public Response

The presentation provoked responses from MPs within the New Zealand Parliament and ministers associated with portfolios that later fed into agencies such as the Department of Education and Radio New Zealand. Members of the New Zealand Labour Party signalled varying degrees of support while the New Zealand National Party and other MPs debated practicalities, referencing precedents from institutions like Auckland Teachers' College and iwi claims heard by the Waitangi Tribunal. Coverage across outlets such as the New Zealand Herald, The Press, and television on NZBC amplified discussion, while advocacy groups including unions and student associations engaged with MPs representing Māori electorates.

Immediate Outcomes

In the months following the petition, parliamentary questions and select committee considerations increased, and educational institutions such as University of Auckland, Victoria University of Wellington, and teacher training colleges began to pilot courses in Te Reo Māori. Broadcasting trials on Radio New Zealand and community stations expanded Māori language programming, and local authorities in regions like Rotorua and Gisborne initiated bilingual signage projects. The petition helped precipitate policy developments that would lead to formal language initiatives within the Department of Education and later agencies.

Long-term Impact and Legacy

The petition is widely credited with contributing to major milestones including the establishment of language institutions and legal recognitions: the emergence of kōhanga reo initiatives linked to advocates such as Dame Whina Cooper’s contemporaries, the creation of bilingual and immersion schooling that influenced bodies like Te Aho Matua and universities, and legislative progress culminating in statutes associated with language recognition and institutions akin to Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission). The petition influenced later activists and political leaders, intersecting with claims before the Waitangi Tribunal and informing policy under subsequent governments, including those led by figures from the New Zealand Labour Party and New Zealand National Party.

Commemoration and Recognition in Education

Commemorations include acknowledgements in curricula at institutions such as University of Auckland, Victoria University of Wellington, and teacher education programs, and celebrations during events connected to Matariki and Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week). Educational materials and histories produced by organisations like Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, Te Puni Kōkiri, and school boards reference the petition in discussions of language revitalisation strategies and in resources used across kura and schools in regions including Tāmaki Makaurau, Waikato, and Te Tai Rāwhiti.

Category:History of New Zealand