Tukua ki te Ao

The project was a one-year kaupapa Māori research study led by Professor Jenny Lee-Morgan and funded by Te Taura Whiri I te reo Māori. This research study investigated use of Te Reo Māori in three types of organisations (local council, secondary schools and companies) with the aim of contributing new knowledge towards the ‘normalisation’ of Māori language in wider New Zealand society.

This research project Tukua ki te Ao, critically investigates this shift towards a more inclusive and positive attitude of te reo Māori language, focusing distinctly on 9 organisations in New Zealand. The participating organisations were:

Companies: Air NZ; Microsoft; Spark NZ

Secondary Schools: Christ’s College, Christchurch; King’s College, Auckland; Wellington Girls’ College,

Local Government: Christchurch City Council; Rotorua Lakes Council; Waikato Regional Council

Beyond the private sphere of the home and specific Māori-Language domains such as the marae, there has been a noticeable and increased presence of te reo Māori in the public sphere. Today ‘kia ora’ is a standard greeting in many organisations; a far cry from 1984, when now - Dame Rangimarie Naida Glavish, then a telephone toll-call operator for the Post Office, was threatened with dismissal because she insisted on answering the phone with ‘kia ora’. Indicative of the time, Māori language was highly valued by some New Zealanders, primarily Māori, and not accorded any status by most others who made up the general ‘mainstream’. At last, it appears that Māori language has begun to re-infiltrate the civic and public domains. There has been a significant shift in the use of te reo Māori in wider New Zealand society.

Research Findings:

The research produced key-findings framed by an agency to acknowledge economic, educational, and, public and political ‘propositional values’ as means to advance te reo Māori to all spheres of New Zealand Society. Each sector presented unique opportunities to understand and guide other organisations looking to advance te reo Māori. In particular, seven success indicators were identified to help articulate significant points of critical reference for te reo development in other New Zealand organisations.

1. Tukua te reo kia ū: The organisation Mission

Te reo imbedded within the mission statements of our organisations as means to uphold the mana and status of the language

2. Tukua te reo kia Arataki: Leadership

Active support from leaders and the appointment of passionate people to lead language experience

3. Tukua te reo kia rea: meaningful engagement

That te reo is intrinsically, culturally and socially valued by organisations as means to foster meaningful engagement with Māori is advanced.

4. Tukua te reo kia koa: Positive Māori language experiences

Positive and encouraging experiences for people are important. That this occurs in a culturally competent and safe setting for Māori is also essential.

5. Tukua te reo kia kitea: Māori linguistic landscaping

Culturally responsive landscapes in organisations that make visible te reo Māori. Also the inclusion of te reo in internal and external communications.

6. Tukua te reo kia auaha: Innovation

Innovation as means to activate organisations to engage with te reo Māori in different and original ways.

7. Tukua te reo ki Aotearoa whānui: Our national identity

Acknowledgement that te reo Māori was to New Zealand’s cultural heritage.

The research advances that the normalisation of te reo Māori has the power to radically enhance the status and value of Māori language and culture. The capacity for social change through the progression of te reo in and with organisation in every sector will contribute to the creation of a Māori language ecosystem that establishes and connect domains that value, teach, learn and use te reo. Within the participating organisations passionate champions of Māori language are boldly encouraging their organisations to innovate and chart new ground in renormalizing the language in Aotearoa. For Māori, the affirmation or te reo Māori by New Zealand communities supports the ongoing efforts to revitalise and reassert Māori identity and assures future generations of their birth right