Te reo Māori became an official language in its own country 35 years ago today.

The Māori Language Act came into force on the August 1 1987.

'The battle for te reo Māori has been fought in communities across Aotearoa, from our smallest towns to our biggest cities,” says Māori Language Commissioner Professor Rawinia Higgins.

'In 1987 some warned that making te reo an official language would divide New Zealanders but 35-years later, te reo is something that unites us.

'From the one million people who joined us for our Māori Language Moments, to the thousands singing our anthem in te reo at All Black tests and the hundreds taking part in total immersion kura reo every weekend: te reo is part of our national identity as New Zealanders and connects us all to this place we call home.”

Rawinia says for Māori New Zealanders, te reo is an integral part of one's identity.

'It tells the story of our families and links us forever to our ancestors and to Aotearoa. The battle for its survival is part of the story of every Māori family.”

Today also marks the 35th birthday of the Māori Language Commission, which opened its doors when the Māori Language Act became law.

Rawinia says Stats NZ data released this month revealed some exciting developments:

• Almost one in four Māori New Zealanders now speak te reo as a first language, while 34 per cent of Māori New Zealanders can speak te reo fairly well.
• Young New Zealanders are leading the way in te reo proficiency, with around 40 per cent of those aged 15-34 able to speak more than a few words or phrases.
• Three in five New Zealanders think te reo should be a core subject in primary schools.

'But the battle is not over: we need 1 million speakers of te reo by 2040 to safeguard our language for future generations. Those babies born today will be the first adult generation of speakers in 2040, the countdown is on.”

The commission is launching a campaign calling for New Zealanders to start capturing the many stories of the battle for te reo Māori, to ensure that the language's journey will be told and understood in years to come.

'We want to ensure that families and communities capture te reo stories that matter to them. Whether people want to share them publicly: is up to them. The main thing is that they are captured so that future generations can understand why and how our people fought for the survival of te reo Māori.”

Rawinia says in the next month, a timeline and website will be launched for people to share their stories of our battle for te reo Māori.

'Keep an eye out for it!”

Māori Language Week: Monday September 12– Sunday September 18 2022

Theme: Kia kaha te reo Māori

Māori Language Moment: 12pm Wednesday September 14 2022

Fifty years ago on September 14, 1972, the Māori Language Petition, calling on the government to protect te reo and teach it in schools, was presented to parliament.

That day became Māori Language Day and later Māori Language Week.

For the past two years at the moment the petition was presented, 12pm on September 14 more than one million New Zealanders have stopped to celebrate the Māori Language Moment.

Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori website