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National | News

$6m more for Te Mātāwai to support te reo Māori in community

Te Mātāwai gets $6m more investment over the next four years towards strengthening its kāhui model and influence over the Crown’s investment in te reo Māori.

Mearana Selby and Te Waihōroi Shortland, co-chairs of Te Mātāwai, are "welcoming the funding secured in Budget 2019" to continue efforts to revive te reo Māori amongst whānau, iwi and hapū.

“This will allow Te Mātāwai to work alongside whānau and communities so that te reo Māori is alive and flourishing, kia ūkaipo anō te reo," says Shortland.

“What we do in our homes and communities to raise capacity with te reo Māori will reinvigorate the cultural and social nurturing that the language will bring to Whānau and Māori communities everywhere,” he says.

Shortland says Māori and the Crown have important roles in ensuring the wellbeing of te reo.

“Our partnership with the Crown is crucial in acknowledging the distinctive and complementary roles both Māori and Crown have for the revitalisation of our language,” he says.

The last two years have seen Te Mātāwai establish its investment programme to support community-driven te reo Māori revitalisation activities and start a programme of research and evaluation to inform this work.

Through Te Whare o Te Reo Mauriora, a partnership developed under Te Ture Mō Te Reo Māori 2016, Te Mātāwai shares responsibility with the Crown for advancing the revitalisation of te reo Māori.

Te Mātāwai is responsible for leading the implementation of Maihi Māori, a Māori language strategy developed by and for iwi and Māori communities.