In September 2007, I had the opportunity to travel to New Zealand to study the Māori language revitalization effort. The trip was undertaken by invitation of the Indigenous Language Institute (ILI) and paid for with a grant from the Kellogg Foundation to ILI. As a member of a larger group consisting of members of ILI's board of directors, staff and technical advisors, I visited primary and secondary schools throughout the North Island, as well as colleges, Māori-owned businesses and Marae - Māori community centers which are at the heart of the Māori revitalization movement.
The photos and comments at this site are a first attempt to share what I saw and learned on this trip. In a nutshell, the Māori language is alive today and stands a realistic chance of surviving through the rest of this century, because a group of highly educated, popular Māori leaders in the 70ies got a grassroots movement started that was radical in its commitment to the Māori language and culture, and that refused to accept that you can be Māori and express yourself through the English language. The Māori leaders we met on this trip and learned about from others are true visionaries who believe in themselves and in the power and value of their cultural heritage. And they have taught us an important lesson: a language can survive, if you put your heart and mind to it! Kia ora! Haere mai ra
Nga manuhiri tuarangi e
Haeremai, haeremai