Landmark legislation
Twenty-nine years ago the Maori Language Act made te reo an official language of New Zealand. Laura Dooney reports.
When the Maori Language Act was signed in July 1987, the same organisation that had lodged a Treaty of Waitangi claim that led to the creation of the legislation was protesting against it.
The bill was signed by the Governor-General Sir Paul Reeves, whose secretary told The
Dominion he had no comment, except that he had signed it, and had done so on the advice of Prime Minister David Lange.
The act, which came into effect in August 29 years ago, was opposed by the then Wellington Maori Language Board, which said it did not give the language official equal status with English.
What it did do was create a Maori Language Commission, and allow the use of te reo Maori in court. Work towards creating the Maori Language Act began after the Wellington Maori Language Board lodged a Treaty of Waitangi claim in 1984, according to Te Ara Encyclopaedia.
In May 1986 the Treaty of Waitangi Tribunal recommended te reo be recognised as a taonga, or treasure, and made an official language.
The tribunal accused the Crown of not keeping its promise contained within the Treaty of protecting the language, reports in
The Dominion said. Its 72-page document also found the education system was ‘‘failing the Maori people, and operating in breach of the treaty’’.
The Wellington Maori Language Board’s key argument before the tribunal was that the language was an essential part of the Maori culture. The tribunal agreed.
‘‘If we reject it,’’ the newspaper reported the tribunal as saying, ‘‘the whole of Maoridom will be incensed, even outraged.’’
The legislation provided a platform for there to be a focus on the language, said Professor Rawinia Higgins, Deputy ViceChancellor (Maori) at Victoria University.
‘‘At the time there was a sense of recognition for the status of the language. The establishment of the commission demonstrated the Crown commitment to Treaty obligations.
‘‘They [Maori] saw that as a significant and momentous piece of legislation to enable the language, and support language revitalisation efforts.’’
During the 70s there had been what was known as a ‘Maori Renaissance’, highlighted by the 1972 petition Maori language petition, and the 1975 Maori land march led by Dame Whina Cooper.
That drive came from first and second generation urban Maori, whose parents had migrated into the city after World War II.
Many of them were university educated, yet did not know the language of their ancestors, Higgins said.
‘‘They worked very hard to raise critical awareness around the language, and consequently drove a lot of the interest around getting our elders to appreciate there was a whole generation, two generations of Maori kids, who didn’t have te reo.’’
According to NZHistory.net, the 200-year history of Maori language had been one of ups and downs.
It remained the predominant language in New Zealand for the first 50 years after settlers began to move in.
It was not uncommon for missionaries, government officials, and other high-ranking Pakeha to speak te reo Maori.
It was in the 1860s that the tide turned and English took over – with Maori as a language actively discouraged.
Despite that, until World War II the language was still widely spoken, but after the war there was a massive drift of Maori toward cities and towns, away from their rural roots.
It was then that the language began a steady decline, but it was rescued by the Renaissance of the 70s. In the 1980s initiatives were implemented to help preserve the language, such as kohanga reo, and kura kaupapa.
The act was amended in 1991, and the Maori Language Commission renamed Te Taura Whiri I Te Reo Maori.
In April this year a new bilingual bill replaced the 1987 legislation, with hopes it would again revitalise the language in New Zealand.
In a first for the country, it was written in both English and Te Reo Maori, with the Maori version of the bill taking precedence over English if there were any disputes.
At the time Maori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell said he wanted both Maori and non-Maori to take up the language.
‘‘This bill is about everybody in this country and about making sure we save our language.’’
Higgins said there was still a decline in the language, that could be attributed to a number of factors. ‘‘The value of the language is not just for Maori, but for society in general, one thing that needs to be addressed is how to work to raise critical awareness.’’
‘‘They worked very hard to raise critical awareness around the language, and consequently drove a lot of the interest around getting our elders to appreciate there was a whole generation, two generations of Maori kids, who didn’t have te reo.’’