Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy has hit out at a Dunedin man who said in an Otago Daily Times opinion piece published today that anyone that supports Te Reo Maori during the recent Maori Language Week was a "boring bigot".
The opinion piece, written by Dave Witherow, had harsh words for those in the media touting the virtues of Maori Language Week, something Dame Susan has no time for.
"Anyone who complains about Te Reo Maori being used and celebrated in this country needs to get one thing straight: this is New Zealand. Aotearoa New Zealand – so get used to it," Dame Susan said in a statement today.
"This year marks 30 years since Te Reo was made an official language of its own country. We’ve come a long way since then but it’s clear that some of us have longer to go than others."
Mr Witherow's opinion piece pulled no punches when addressing how he felt about the issue.
"Everything indigenous is sacrosanct, and even formerly redoubtable interviewers now shrink from the slightest demur when boring bigots drone on about the mana of all things native," he wrote.
Dame Susan pointed out that Mr Witherow was originally born in Ireland, the same as her ancestors, and the similarities in the native tongue between our two countries.
"Irish people have fought for years for the right to speak their own indigenous language. Like New Zealand, English predominates but Irish Gaelic is recognised as the national and first official language of the republic," she said.
Dame Susan finished her statement with a strong message of inclusion to the writer of the opinion piece.
"Tonight I'll be at the Ngā Tohu Reo Maori Awards, sharing a table with Kiwis from Maori, Pakeha, Asian and Jewish backgrounds. We're not boring bigots. We’re New Zealanders."
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