Gavin Muir
Rotorua
Te reo not diatribe
My heart sank when I read te reo Māori being described as a "diatribe" (Letters, January 4).
When people feel entitled to describe the original language as "diatribe" it is actually saying a lot about them.
A N Christie would do well to understand why English became so prevalent here in Aotearoa, and the journey Māori has had to survive.
English will never be in danger of being forgotten or anyone being beaten for speaking it. Te reo Māori is an official language protected by statute since 1987 and has waited patiently to be embraced.
I am truly thankful for the dedicated people who worked tirelessly to enable New Zealand to embrace a revitalisation of its indigenous language so that my tamariki can use it as an everyday language.
The revitalisation has never excluded anyone, free lessons have been available for all adults for over a decade (which I have taken), and I encourage people to do so because rather than "diatribe", the beauty and depth is without limit.
I hope 2019 brings tolerance and understanding to A N Christie. It has filled my heart with joy hearing te reo Māori being increasingly used and pronounced correctly over my 11 years living in Aotearoa (and English hasn't disappeared at all either) and I thank the council for its role in this in Rotorua.
S White
Rotorua
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