Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori
Name	Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori
Native name	Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori
Formation	1987
Headquarters	Wellington
Jurisdiction	New Zealand
Minister	Minister for Māori Development

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori is the Crown entity established to promote and preserve the Māori language in Aotearoa New Zealand. It operates within the framework established by the Māori Language Act 1987 and interacts with a wide array of institutions, stakeholders, iwi, hapū, and international partners to support te reo Māori revitalisation.

History

Te Taura Whiri was created following the passage of the Māori Language Act 1987, a legislative response influenced by activism such as the efforts of Ngā Tamatoa, the land protests at Bastion Point, and broader movements including the 1975 Māori land march led by Dame Whina Cooper. Early engagement included collaboration with the Department of Education, the Department of Māori Affairs, and the Waitangi Tribunal in matters relating to the recognition of te reo Māori as an official language alongside New Zealand English and New Zealand Sign Language. Prominent figures connected with the language movement include Sir Apirana Ngata, Dame Te Atairangikaahu, Sir Māori Brown, Ranginui Walker, and Moana Jackson, while key events informing policy have involved the 1981 Springbok Tour protests, the establishment of kohanga reo inspired by Dame Whina Cooper and Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi, and educational reforms enacted under the Fourth Labour Government and subsequent administrations.

Roles and Functions

The organisation provides language advice, develops language standards, and offers guidance to public bodies such as the New Zealand Parliament, the State Services Commission, and local authorities including Auckland Council and Wellington City Council. It issues opinions used by schools like Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Hoani Waititi and universities including the University of Auckland and Victoria University of Wellington, liaises with iwi such as Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāi Tahu, Waikato-Tainui, and Te Arawa, and works with agencies such as Te Puni Kōkiri, Education New Zealand, and the Human Rights Commission. Internationally, it engages with bodies like UNESCO, the Pacific Islands Forum, and the Māori Language Commissioners of Australia and Canada, and has relationships with cultural organisations such as the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, the National Library of New Zealand, and Radio New Zealand.

Structure and Governance

Governance is effected through a board appointed under Crown entity processes involving the Minister for Māori Development and consultation with tribal authorities including Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Porou and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu. Operational divisions interface with academic units at Massey University, the University of Otago, and AUT, and with professional bodies including the New Zealand Law Society and the New Zealand Medical Association when advising on terminology. Oversight relates to statutory instruments enacted during administrations of Prime Ministers such as David Lange, Helen Clark, John Key, Jacinda Ardern, and Chris Hipkins. The organisation's model draws comparisons with language agencies like Foras na Gaeilge, Académie française, and the Welsh Language Commissioner.

Language Revitalisation Initiatives

Initiatives include support for kōhanga reo, kura kaupapa Māori, Māori-medium units within mainstream schools, and tertiary pathways at institutions such as Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, the Open Polytechnic, and Lincoln University. Programmes collaborate with broadcasting outlets including Te Mangai Pāho, Māori Television, iwi radio networks, and commercial partners like NZ On Air and TVNZ, and engage digital platforms developed by technology partners in the ICT sector, including Spark New Zealand and Vodafone New Zealand. Community projects have links with Ngāi Tahu Charitable Trust, Tūhoe initiatives, Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua, and urban Māori organisations such as Ngāti Akarana and Ngāti Poneke, while workforce development aligns with Trades Union Congress activity, Business New Zealand, and employer groups including Fonterra and Air New Zealand to bolster te reo skills in workplaces.

Publications and Resources

The organisation produces dictionaries, style guides, and terminology lists used across public services, education providers like Te Wānanga o Raukawa, and cultural institutions such as the Royal New Zealand Ballet and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. Resources support translation and interpretation services for courts including the Māori Land Court and Waitangi Tribunal hearings, and for emergency services such as Fire and Emergency New Zealand and St John New Zealand. Collaborative publications have involved authors and scholars like Hēmi Kelly, Aroha Harris, Te Maire Tau, and Judith Binney, and reference works draw from archives at Archives New Zealand and the Alexander Turnbull Library.

Controversies and Criticism

The organisation has faced debate over funding decisions debated in Parliament, scrutiny from opposition parties including the National Party and ACT New Zealand, and critique from media outlets such as The New Zealand Herald and Stuff. Controversies have arisen over standardisation of spelling and orthography involving scholars like Ngāpuhi academics, disputes with iwi groups over dialect recognition by Ngāti Porou and Tainui, and tensions with schools and teachers' unions such as the New Zealand Educational Institute. Legal and policy challenges have been discussed in courts including the High Court and the Court of Appeal, and in public inquiries involving the Ombudsman and the Auditor-General. International comparisons to language agencies such as the Office québécois de la langue française and the Basque Language Academy have been invoked in critiques.

Category:Māori language