Horomia: Mãori Language Versions Windows (fwd)

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Horomia: Mãori Language Versions Windows

Wednesday, 30 November 2005, 9:32 am
Speech: New Zealand Government
29 November 2005
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0511/S00429.htm

Launch Of Mãori Language Versions Windows Xp And Microsoft Office

Mihi

I am delighted to offer my congratulations to all those involved in
producing the Mãori Language Interface Packs for Windows and Office.

To the representatives of Microsoft  I thank you for the commitment you
have shown to the Mãori language and indeed for the farsighted approach
to indigenous languages you have taken worldwide. To the team from
Waikato University - I acknowledge the skills you have displayed in
both the IT area and in your continued dedication to excellence in the
Mãori language. To Te Taura Whiri  thank you again for your efforts in
implementing the Governments Mãori language policies.

It is my sincere belief that the launch of these products is a
significant step in the road to revitalising the Mãori Language. We
have seen a significant increase in the numbers of Mãori and other New
Zealanders learning the language over the last decade. It is important
that they now have access to tools to support them in using the
language in everyday situations.

The Government has in place a strategy that aims to see the place of the
Mãori language in our nation strengthened to the point that it is a
normal part of everyday life. The strategy seeks to achieve this
through:

· enhanced Mãori language education;
· the expanded use of the language in the home and community;
· and encouraging the appreciation of the language by all New
Zealanders.

The availability of Microsoft applications in Mãori has the potential to
contribute to all three of these areas if the applications are widely
used by those with the language skills to do so.

It is also important that the numbers of Mãori who are utilising the
latest in information and communication technology is expanded.
Presently only one in four Mãori homes are connected to the internet.
The availability of Microsoft applications in the Mãori Language will
facilitate the expansion of ICT use by Mãori. I am sure that as the
next generation of Mãori come of age, they will be making much wider
use of ICT than my generation has to date. I am especially pleased that
the Interface Packs have the potential to significantly boost the IT
resources of children in Mãori medium education.

Though significant steps have been taken in revitalising the language
since the 1970s, there is still much work that needs to be done. The
Mãori language is no longer in danger of disappearing off the face of
the earth. However, there remains a real danger that it will become a
kind of Latin  confined to use in ceremony and education only  rather
than being a language with a self-perpetuating pool of native speakers.

For this reason, innovations such as the Language Interface Packs that
expand the domains in which the language can be used are vital for the
future of the Mãori Language. We need more such innovations to provide
tools that enable the language to be normalized in information
technology, communications technology, media and entertainment.

The project to develop Mãori Language capacity for Microsoft Office and
Windows has been a true collaboration between the public and private
sectors, as well as the academic and commercial sectors.

Both the Government and Microsoft have much to gain from the success of
this project  the Government in seeing its goals for language
revitalisation met and Microsoft in terms of the expansion of its
customer base into demographics that have been under represented in
technology uptake.

The innovative solutions developed by Microsoft with the aid of Te Taura
Whiri, Waikato University and others highlight the advantages of such
collaborations.

I dont believe that any one sector alone will be able to meet the
ongoing challenges the Mãori language faces in the 21st century. We
therefore need more of the kinds of partnerships that have resulted in
the production of these Language Interface Packs as we look to expand
the use of Mãori in communications, media and education.

Mãori have shown a remarkable desire to adapt to the opportunities and
challenges that colonisation has brought. In the early 19th century,
Mãori appropriated the technology of the Pãkehã in their commercial
activity, education, and warfare with considerable dynamism.

I believe we are entering a similar period of technological innovation
as Mãori take the lead in appropriating the new technology of the
post-industrial era to meet their needs.

The partnership with Microsoft is one example of this. For Mãori to
fulfil their potential, there is still considerable work to be done in
this area. I look forward to seeing the new and exciting innovations
that Mãori, in partnership with Government and the private sector, will
produce in their near future.

Ka mutu

ENDS