Recently there has been a lot of talk about the way we are talking on television and in the media, more specifically, the use of Maori words and phrases.
Vocal opponents of Te Reo Maori in mainstream broadcasting have got plenty of airtime recently, including Don Brash, who said Maori is “pointless” because 98 per cent of Kiwis don’t understand it.
This week, there is a Maori sports week, or Wiki Hakina Kina, where students who are being schooled entirely in te reo come together.
"We should korero (speak) Maori every second of the day no matter where you are or what situation," said teacher Nikora Irimana.
Student Tiria Anderson said the Maori language is "unique" to the world.
Student Manahi Gardiner said speaking te reo gave him a connection to his tupuna (ancestors) and whakapapa (geneology).
Former National Party leader Dr Brash slammed broadcaster Guyon Espiner for using te reo on air on RNZ.
Last month he said he was "utterly sick" of hearing te reo being spoken on the airways "in what are primarily English-language broadcasts."
Another student in response said: "That is nonsense."
Principal Trist Reweti said the comments made by Dr Brash show there is a fraction of New Zealand that carry the same values.
"The underlying racism in those comments, those values exist in a certain portion of New Zealand and when people in power like Don Brash make those statements it re-endorses their opinions."
Mr Reweti said the biggest challenge is changing the value base of "our own people".
"There's a lot of our own people that haven’t turned to value our own language and own tikanga enough to retain their children in secondary school education in the wharekura movement."
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