Turning research into action was a key focus for Māori language academics at the Kia Tōnuitia Te Reo symposium in Wellington. Organiser Dr Awanui Te Huia, an associate professor from Victoria University of Wellington’s Te Kawa a Maui School of Māori Studies, said it was important for research to reach whānau.
“Kei te tipu haere te hiahia o te hunga kei waho tonu i ngā whare wānanga kia mōhio he aha rawa rā tēnei mea te rangahau reo Māori.”
(There is a growing desire amongst our communities outside of the university sphere to know what kinds of Māori language research is around.)
She said that the aim was to bring together Māori language academics to come up with a pathway to disseminate their research widely into communities that would benefit most.
More than 200,000 people can hold a conversation in te reo, according to the 2023 Census, and Māori is the second most widely spoken language in the country. However, the percentage of te reo speakers hardly shifted between 2013 and 2023 at 18.4% and 18.6%.
We are still in a phase of language revitalisation, said Te Huia.
“Kei te kitea pea mātou i te rerekētanga o te kuhunga a o tātou hapori ki te reo nō reira me whai rautaki tātou, me rerekē o tātou rautaki ki ki hea wāhi, ki hea wāhi, kia whai i te rongoā tika mō o tātou whānau, mō o tātou hapori.
(We’re seeing differences among our communities in how they access te reo so we need to find strategies and customise them to each area so that the right strategy is implemented for each of our whānau and communities.)
“Nō reira āe kei te tipu haere te reo Māori engari arā noa atu ngā wāhi e tika ana kia pai ake ai te tipu.”
(So, yes, te reo Māori is growing but there are spaces where we can focus in on to further develop and grow.)
Using technology in revitalisation efforts
Among participants and presenters were seasoned champions of te reo Māori who have spent decades teaching, protecting and researching the language.
Dr Joseph Te Rito has been part of the revitalisation movement for decades which includes being the founding and current chairman of iwi radio station Radio Kahungunu based in Hawke’s Bay.
He said technology has changed dramatically over the years and it has a role to play in returning te reo back into homes.
“Nā te hangarau i tango tō tātou reo, nā te hangarau i kawe mai te reo Pākehā ki roto i ō tātou kāinga, me waiho mā te hangarau anō e whakaora mai anō te reo.”
(Technology took our language and brought English into our homes, so let’s use technology to revive it.)
He said iwi radio stations often filled the void in the absence of native language speaking elders who could pass te reo on to the next generation.
Te Rito's research project included creating a digital platform for people to be able to access archival recordings of two native language speakers conversing naturally in te reo for free.
“I reira ka rongo rātou i ngā reo o ō mātou kuia o te wā kāinga, o roto o Ngāti Kahungunu, e kōrerorero tahi ana ki a rāua. Ka āhei te hunga kuhu atu ki te pānui ā rāua kōrero nā mātou i tuhituhi, nā mātou i whakapākehā.”
(There people can listen to our two kuia from home, from Ngāti Kahungunu, having a conversation. People can read the transcriptions of their talk that we produced and translated.)
Te Rito said there were many Māori programmes produced by TV and iwi radio stations over the years that have examples of native speakers that should be accessed and used as a resource for language learners.
“Koirā te reo o Hawaiki, o Hawaiki tawhito. Kua uru nei tātou ki te ao Hawaiki hōu engari me hoki rawa, me tiro rawa, me whakarongo rawa ki ngā kōrero a ō tātou mātua tīpuna i te wā e ora ana rātou, e pakari ana o rātou reo. Kāore pēnei i a tātou ināianei kua kimikimi noa tātou, kua wareware noa tātou i te mea kāore tātou e tino rongorongo i te reo i ngā wā katoa.”
(That is the language of Hawaiki, of our ancient homeland. We are now in a new Hawaiki, but we must return to analyse and listen to the stories of our ancestors from a time when they were living, and in their own strong voices. Unlike how we are today, searching in vain – we have forgotten because we don’t hear those voices all the time.)
The power of research in Māori language revitalisation
Research is important to western society, said Te Rito. He recalls early research by academic Dr Richard Benton who, alongside his wife Nena Benton, undertook a landmark survey of the Māori language in the 1970s. Their findings revealed the decline of te reo and triggered revitalisation efforts that continue today.
Their research is what convinced the government of the time to pay attention, said Te Rito.
“Nā reira ka tika hoki kia huri tātou kia anga tātou ki tēnei mea ki te rangahau i tō tātou reo nō te mea he maha ngā āhuatanga o tēnei mea o te rangahau. I rongo mātou i te rangi tā tēnā, tā tēnā, tā tēnā, nā reira me kaha tonu tātou ki te rangahau i te mea kāore tātou i te mohio katoa he aha te rongoā mō te whakahoki mai i tō tātou reo, mō te whakapūmau anō i tō tātou reo mā te rangahau rawa, nē?
(So, we should be studying our language because there are many facets of research. [During the symposium] we heard from a number of different studies, and we must continue because we don’t entirely know what the answer is to reviving and maintaining our language – only research will tell, right?)
“Mā te āta whakaaro, mā te āta wānanga o te tangata ki a ia anō, tērā pea ka puta ake ētahi whakaaro pai, ētahi whakaaro nui hei kawe atu i a tātou ki roto i te ao hou nei, te ao hangarau nei.”
(By careful deliberation and self-reflection perhaps more good ideas will come, ideas that will take us into this new digital world.)
That’s the power of research, said Te Huia, and our role as academics and university staff is to show how our findings can be used for the greater good.
“Ko te mea nui ki ahau kia rongo ai ngā whānau i te hua ka puta mai i te rangahau. Kei te mahi mātou i ngā kaupapa rau kia kitea mai ai he aha te hua mō te katoa.”
(What’s important to me is that our whānau benefit from the outcomes of research. We are working on numerous projects in order to find better outcomes for all.)
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