American Indians learn from Maori (fwd)

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Thursday, 13 September 2007
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/waikatotimes/4200639a6579.html

American Indians learn from Maori

Te Wananga o Aotearoa in Te Awamutu has hosted 30 North American Indians
exploring ideas about revitalising indigenous languages.

The New Mexico Indigenous Language Institute educators are touring Maori
language schools, media outlets and marae.

Inee Yang Slaughter, director of the Indigenous Language Institute, said the
aim of the 12-day visit was "to observe what you have accomplished to date
but also to glean from your past struggles and successes".

Project manager Aroha Te Kanawa said the visitors were learning how to keep
their native languages alive, using the Maori language as a model.

"It's about exchanging information."

Te Wananga o Aotea
roa chief executive Bentham Ohia said the visitors
included several Cherokee and Northern Cheyenne native indian speakers who
faced the same issues Maori people had 30 years ago.

Many North American indigenous languages were disap
pear
ing as the older
native speakers died, he said.

Younger people were not learning the language.

"New Zealand is seen as a leader in terms of indigenous language
revital
isa
tion," Mr Ohia said.

"We recognise that language learning doesn't just need to happen in a
class
room."

# Veronica Johnston is a AUT journalism student