Te Reo Māori

From the first European contact through to the 1850s, when the Pākehā population began to exceed the Māori population, te reo Māori was New Zealand’s predominant language. Used in all aspects of life, including commerce, religion, and politics, te reo was a vital and thriving language.

By the 1870s, following the New Zealand Wars, the country was divided into Māori and Pākehā society. Māori communities tended to be rural and active in the use of te reo. Leaders, such as Sir Apirana Ngata, promoted its use in home and community, emphasizing its importance in cultural identity and personal pride.

With the Māori urban migration of the 1940s came the breaking up of the traditional rural communities. The new urban Māori population settled in largely non-Māori suburbs and English became the first language of many Māori children.

The next few decades saw a steady decline in the use of te reo, a government report released in 1961 described the language as a ‘relic’.

By the early 1970s Māori groups were beginning to express concern over the waning of te reo, and the reality that fluent speakers tended to be elderly. The Te Ataarangi movement, started in 1979, sought to reintroduce te reo to Māori adults.

The 1980s saw education and broadcast initiatives, designed to foster te reo and encourage its growth. Prominent amongst these initatives was the establishment of Te Kohanga Reo, designed to ‘promote, support and encourage the use and retention of te reo’ amongst preschoolers, and the launch of Māori radio stations and te reo broadcasting.

In 1987 Parliament passed the Māori Language Act, and Māori became an official language of New Zealand.

The 1990s and the first few years of the 21st century saw more progress and change. A Māori language survey in 2001 showed around 136,700 te reo speakers, (a far cry from the 50,000 recorded in 1985), and Māori Television Service began broadcasting on 28 March 2004.

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Last reviewed: 14 August 2009