Maori language ought to be compulsory in New Zealand schools, says Professor Tamati Reedy. That's his personal opinion. And those attending a series of hui on the future of the language are saying people ought to value it at least as highly as the country's native birds and plants.
Whanganui, Rangitikei,
Taihape, Taranaki, Manawatu and Horowhenua Maori met at the Wanganui Racecourse yesterday to talk about the health of their language, in a hui chaired by Professor Reedy.
It's the sixth in a national series.
And last week a Waitangi Tribunal report pointed out that the number of Maori children in Maori language education has diminished.
In Wanganui there were 34 fewer district children at kohanga reo in 2009 than in 2005. And there were 17 fewer children at the city's two kura kaupapa Maori in 2010 than there were in 2005.
Prof Reedy said English, science and maths were compulsory parts of the school curriculum, so why not Maori?
People argued that making it compulsory would turn children off, but that theory had never been tested.
"For goodness sake, if you never ever took a dive at anything, you would never learn anything," he said.
There was evidence that people were enriched by having more than one language and way of looking at the world.
And he said the Maori language could cope with any dimension of life, from economics to philosophy.
Since the Waitangi Tribunal report came out, Professor Reedy has been surprised by the number of Pakeha who want the language to survive.
"They're saying it's a language that we cannot afford to lose. It's not only a part of Maori heritage, it's a part of the heritage of the land."
Government spending of $220 million a year to keep it alive might seem like a lot, but it was nothing compared to what governments had done to it in the past.
"They tried extremely hard to suppress Maori language into extinction."
The series of hui were looking for suggestions from Maori about their language.
"The call has been that the Crown return the initiatives and ideas and ways of revitalising and ensuring the longevity of te reo Maori to the Maori people themselves."
Any renewed effort would need research, resources such as books and toys, and teachers of Maori on a scale not seen before.
