<div dir="ltr"><h1>Te reo may still face extinction
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<div class="">Last updated 06:20 04/07/2013</div>
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<div class="" id="toolbox_comment_count"><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/8876274/Te-reo-may-still-face-extinction#comments" class="">2</a></div>
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<span class="">OPINION:</span>
<strong>New Zealand needs to rethink its language policy to make te reo Maori a more equal partner of English, writes Nathan Albury.</strong>
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<p>
Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori (Maori Language Week) reminds us of the
special place our reo holds, and to consider what challenges we still
face in securing its future.
</p>
<p>
There is no doubt the work of our Maori communities, especially
Maori- medium education with backing from successive governments, has
been a linguistic achievement.
</p>
<p>
Next to Hebrew and Irish, the linguistic U-turn te reo has taken, is internationally impressive.
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But there is no room for complacency.
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Our reo is still endangered and this year we anticipate the release of the next Maori language strategy.
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This follows the Government's promise of an extra $8 million for a
new Maori Language Research and Development Fund, increased funding for
te reo, and the reallocation of Teach NZ scholarships to boost the
number and quality of te reo-competent educators.
</p>
<p>
It's a busy year for language policymakers, but who exactly should
language policy be targeting? Should revitalisation of te reo focus
solely on Maori communities, or should all New Zealanders participate?
</p>
<p>
Surprisingly, our laws and policies are unclear on this point.
Legislation makes te reo an official language on par with English.
</p>
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The Maori Language Commission prioritises naturalising te reo and
upholds that all New Zealanders should have the opportunity to become
bilingual.
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Maori Language Week itself hopes to foster a New Zealand-wide commitment to the language.
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However, actual policy implementation has focused explicitly on
Maori communities, often under the guise of community development.
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<p>
For example, the Maori Language Commission explains that te reo
"underpins Maori cultural development which in turn, supports Maori
social identity and culture" and the role of non- Maori under the
current Maori language strategy is simply to show goodwill.
</p>
<p>
With that vision, building the pool of speakers of Maori will always
be limited. Nonetheless, it seems this exclusivity will continue: Maori
Affairs Minister Pita Sharples explained earlier this year that
revitalising te reo is paramount in efforts to promote Maori
development.
</p>
<p>
Is it right that revitalisation policy not include work to foster te
reo proficiency among non-Maori? If we are to embrace the union of
Maori and non- Maori cultures, it surely seems a disservice to the Maori
cause not to demand a greater commitment from wider New Zealand.
</p>
<p>
This is not in the least because without positive and inclusive
interventions, te reo may still face extinction because the Maori
population has become a minority on its own whenua.
</p>
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So, it seems only logical that all New Zealanders be subject to language policy, but this has not yet happened.
</p>
<p>
Public service agencies still do not require te reo skills as a
standard condition of employment. The language test for migrants ignores
te reo as an official language of this country.
</p>
<p>
Only English remains a compulsory language in schools, leaving te
reo - an equally official language - to linger on the side.
</p>
<p>
Our language laws and policies are unbalanced, undermine te reo's
revitalisation, and assume te reo is only a matter for Maori.
</p>
<p>
This is understandable, because our politicians and policymakers
discuss an inextricable link between te reo and Maori identity as the
impetus for language policy.
</p>
<p>
Language can indeed be an important precursor to identity - this is a sociolinguistic fact - but it need not be.
</p>
<p>
Despite the Maori cultural renaissance and a growth in people who
identify as Maori, proficiency in te reo is not increasing.
</p>
<p>
The simple fact is that Maori ethnic identity is less reliant on te
reo because Maori identity is now expressed through a much broader range
of avenues than ever before.
</p>
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The age-old assumption that Maori need te reo in order to identity
as Maori needs revisiting and the revitalisation of te reo must be seen
as a responsibility of all New Zealanders.
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This can be achieved by being brave and rethinking our language policy.
</p>
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We need to update what we know about the value te reo holds among
Maori, and pursue more balanced and fairer language laws and policies.
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This will not only better support te reo, but above all better reflect our culturally rich contemporary Aotearoa.
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This, I hope, is something the Maori language strategy 2013 will help us achieve.
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<p>
<strong>Nathan Albury is a linguist with an interest in language policy.</strong> <br></p><p><a href="http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/8876274/Te-reo-may-still-face-extinction">http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/comment/8876274/Te-reo-may-still-face-extinction</a><br>
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