- submissions end on September 30

All content on this page is courtesy Te Puni Kōkiri. We encourage our readers to visit the organisation’s website www.tpk.govt.nz to read more about what it does, as well as about Maihi Karauna.

Te reo Māori remains a crucial cultural asset for Māori and is protected under the Treaty of Waitangi. And Te Puni Kōkiri is playing a leading role in the government’s efforts to support the revitalisation of the Māori language. This is the first time the Crown and Māori, represented by Te Mātāwai, have entered into an active, planned partnership for revitalisation. Te Mātāwai is a new organisation established under Te Ture mō te Reo Māori 2016 (The Māori Language Act 2016) to lead revitalisation of te reo Māori on behalf of iwi and Māori. Te Mātāwai has 13 members.

• seven appointed by iwi

• four appointed by reo tukutuku (Māori language stakeholder) organisations

• two appointed by the Minister for Māori Development.

The purpose of the new act is to revitalise the Māori language, and to affirm the status of the Māori language as; 

• the indigenous language of New Zealand

• a taonga of iwi and Māori

• a language valued by the nation

• an official language of New Zealand.

Maihi Karauna
The Maihi Karauna is the Crown’s strategy for Māori language revitalisation. It is for all New Zealanders. It outlines what the Crown will do to support a strong, healthy, thriving Māori language; Kia māhorahora te reo - everywhere, every way, for everyone, every day. A draft of the Maihi Karauna was released for public consultation on August 3, 2018. Consultation on it ends on September 30, 2018.

You can give your feedback by completing the surveys on www.tpk.govt.nz/maihikarauna either in English or in te reo Māori. For more detailed submissions you can also email maihi.karauna@tpk.govt.nz 

Maihi Karauna has been developed by Te Puni Kōkiri, Te Taura Whiri i te reo Māori, Te Māngai Pāhō, the Māori Television Service, Ministry of Education, Department of Internal Affairs and Manatū Taonga, the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Te Puni Kōkiri, in partnership with Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, is leading the development and implementation planning for the Maihi Karauna, alongside other Crown agencies and Crown-funded entities. The draft Maihi Karauna complements the Maihi Māori, the strategy developed by Te Mātāwai for language revitalisation among whānau, in homes and at community level.