This reports focuses on the future state of te reo Māori of whānau in the Waikato-Tainui Rohe to 2038. It seeks to provide and identify some of the key sources and innovations of te reo Māori as signposts for the future. It also seeks to make visible to the wider public the regional and strategic initiatives experienced in our communities.
Any foresight analysis must begin with a clear foundation and connection to the past and present. Therefore, this report is as much about realising what has happened in the past, as it is about the future. Significant historic turning points are connected to current initiatives and innovations that signal potential points of change. The approach to ‘the future state of te reo Māori’ is premised on the notion that building blocks are being laid down now (often on the foundations of the work of tūpuna and others) by whānau, hapū, iwi and communities. In this regard, the researchers seek to provide and identify some of the key sources and innovations of te reo Māori as signposts for the future.
The report focuses and provides recommendations on the following areas:
- demographic analysis of Māori speakers of te reo,
- Waikato-Tainui tribal manoeuvres,
- Māori language education,
- technological innovations,
- Māori-rich community organisations.
Prepared by Te Kotahi Research Institute / Te Mata Punenga o te Kotahi for Te Mātāwai