Celebrating 50 years of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

E rau rangatira mā, huri noa i tō tātou tōpūtanga o PRINZ, tēnā koutou katoa. Ka tukuna ngā mihi aroha, ngā maumahara anō hoki ki a rātou ngā tini wai i whakarewaina te huarahi kia ora ai te reo Māori mā tātou. Anei rā tātou o Aotearoa e rite ai ki te whakanui i te rima tekau tau o te Te Wiki o te Reo Māori tuatahi.

A warm greeting to all, our valued PRINZ members across the organisation.  We pay homage and remember those who paved the way for the survival of the Māori language for us. Here we are as New Zealanders getting ready to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first Māori Language Week.

This year, Aotearoa celebrates the 50th anniversary of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, an event celebrated by many New Zealanders nationwide.

It is an annual campaign led by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (the Māori Language Commission) promoting te reo Māori as a language for all New Zealanders. Every year, the campaign encourages whānau from across Aotearoa, including organisations, schools, workplaces, and homes, to give te reo Māori a go.

The survival of te reo Māori has been a result of dedicated activism since its beginnings as Māori Language Day in 1972, which later expanded into a week-long celebration by 1975. Notable events over the years include the Māori Language Moment in 2020 and 2021, during which more than one million people spoke te reo Māori in a virtual event, the inaugural Māori Language Week parade in 2016, and the release of the first Waiata Anthems album led by Dame Hinewehi Mohi.

As a protected taonga under Te Tiriti o Waitangi, te reo Māori aligns heavily with the organisation’s core values of Honesty, Respect, Integrity, and Courage. Honesty in the way that language is attempted, by giving te reo a go. Respecting the connection that Māori have with the language, which is their awakening – tōku reo tōku ohooho. Taking action to uphold its integrity through Manaakitanga (compassion), or uplifting its Mana. And, finally, the courage to advocate and fight for the language’s survival at a time when it is needed the most.

One of our four strategic pillars is Te Tiriti, and one of the strategy’s outcomes is that all formal PRINZ events and activities incorporate the appropriate use of te reo Māori and customary practices, or Tikanga Māori.

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori takes place this year from 14–20 September 2025, and there is something on offer for all New Zealanders celebrating the Kaupapa. We would like to acknowledge and mihi to the organisers of this yearly event, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori who have a range of online resources which you can download and use during the week.

You can check out www.reomaori.co.nz.