Purpose

Te Mātāwai leads Māori language revitalisation, empowering iwi Māori to restore te reo as a nurturing first language in homes and communities.

Te Mātāwai is responsible for creating the conditions that enable our whānau, hapori, iwi, Māori to drive their solutions. This is a critical point to note. Whilst the reinstatement of te reo Māori into the homes of all Māori people (whānau, hapū, and iwi) is at the heart of what drives us, we are mindful that we do not hold the right to the solutions. These lie with our whānau, hapori, iwi and Māori.

More te reo Māori is being spoken and heard in kāinga, at marae, on the streets and within communities because of language activation by whānau, hapori and iwi. ‘Kia ūkaipō anō te reo’– our vision is underpinned by the belief that restoring te reo Māori as a nurturing first language happens from the ground up.

We recognise the hard-fought wins made to ensure te reo Māori is a living language. However, despite these wins, our collective and unwavering resolve for te reo Māori remains critical.

Te Mātāwai was created through Te Ture mō Te Reo Māori 2016, recognising Māori should lead their own language revival so that te reo is “safe” when “intergenerational transmission is uninterrupted.”

We must keep supporting each other with this clear purpose. Despite the obstacles that come with language revitalisation, it is vital Te Mātāwai champions a Māori-led approach to recovery.