Mema Paremata mō Te Tai Tonga Tākuta Ferris has today
committed to securing $10 million over four years for a Te
Tai Tonga Reo Rangatira Fund, supporting the reclamation,
revitalisation and growth of te reo Māori across the rohe.
He will also support national advances in the reclamation
and revitalisation of te reo Māori.
The announcement
was made today at Hīkoi mō Te Reo Māori in Ōtautahi,
during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori.
“This fund will
allow Te Tai Tonga to assert our rangatiratanga in the
reclamation and sustainability of our language,” said
Ferris.
“$2.5 million every year will support
community-led programmes, wānanga and Kura Reo. It will
also support Māori-led digital language innovation to
ensure our reo secures its place in an evolving digital and
technological world.”
Demand for reo revitalisation
already far exceeds available funding. In Te Mātāwai’s
2024–25 investment round, $33.4 million was requested by
communities, against only $10 million
available.
“Our communities have been doing this
work for years. But successive governments have continued to
underinvest, limiting the opportunities and accessibility
our people are crying out for.
“Barriers must be
removed and resources unlocked if we are to achieve the 2040
goal of one million speakers as a nation. That is a
responsibility of government to support Māori and the
country to achieve that target.”
Alongside the Te
Tai Tonga fund, Ferris will support policies that advance
the reclamation of te reo Māori and grow the number of
speakers across Aotearoa.
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This
includes:
- nationwide revitalisation
efforts - growing the reo
workforce - strengthening kōhanga reo and
Māori-medium education - supporting Māori
broadcasting and content creators - ensuring te reo
Māori has a place in Aotearoa’s growing technology and AI
sectors
“A language thrives when it is spoken
at home, heard in our communities, taught to our tamariki
and passed between generations.”
Ferris said his
approach is about directing resources straight into
communities.
“The Crown has a responsibility to
resource the revitalisation of Te Reo Māori. But Māori and
Te Tai Tonga must lead its future,” said
Ferris.
Full Policy Here.
