50 years ago, te reo Māori was at risk of disappearing from our schools and churches. This week, we celebrate 50 years of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) – a milestone in the revival of a language that shapes who we are as Aotearoa.
How did this come about, and why is it important for us, as members of the Anglican Church of New Zealand?
When the early whalers, sealers, traders and missionaries first came to New Zealand, many learned te reo Māori for their livelihoods, trade and survival. Many tangata whenua (people of the land – in this case, the Māori people) also learned English as they travelled the world. A Ngāpuhi chief, Ruatara, invited the first missionary, Samuel Marsden, to Aotearoa. On Christmas Day, 1814, Samuel Marsden presented the gospel in English, with Ruatara translating into te reo Māori.
Our first official sermon was bicultural.
After the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the population of European settlers grew and outnumbered Māori. In 1867, the Native Schools Act was introduced, where Māori tamariki (children) were required to speak only English at school, and were often punished for speaking te reo Māori.
In the 1970s, two student organisations – Ngā Tamatoa and Te Reo Māori Society – decided to revitalise the dying language. They petitioned for the language and the culture to be offered to all students in all schools around Aotearoa. This petition received over 30,000 signatures and led the government to introduce optional te reo Māori classes in primary and secondary schools.
The Anglican Church of Aotearoa has also gone through changes over the last 50 years. During the 1970s, the church re-examined the Treaty of Waitangi principles and bicultural development. In 1992, the General Synod adopted a new approach that allowed each culture to worship according to their tikanga (way, style, or cultural mode), while retaining an equal voice at future synods. This was the beginning of the current three tikanga of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia: Tikanga Māori, Tikanga Pasifika, and Tikanga Pākehā. You can read Dean Graham O’Brien’s article on that here.
The Nelson Anglican Diocese, of course, comes under Tikanga Pākehā.
So why is it important for us, as Tikanga Pākehā – churches who express faith shaped by New Zealand European culture – to learn and speak te reo?
Other than honouring the covenant of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, there are many benefits, but here are just a few.
Language is always a great key to truly understanding a culture. This is not just in formal settings, but in everyday life. It helps us understand and connect with Māori whānau (families), communities and culture.
There has been a lot of hurt caused to Māori over the last 200 years, including, at times, by the church. Learning the language helps us to understand what was lost, acknowledge the injustices, and move toward partnering and healing together.
As we are all created in the image of God, cultures different to our own can display this in unique ways. Te reo Māori offers rich spiritual and relational concepts that can deepen our Christian faith and community life. Although many of us are Pākehā, we need to be humble, curious and willing to learn from others. Our culture does not have all the answers, but many can be found in a wider community.
In the great words of Nelson Mandela:
If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.
So this week, go beyond mere greetings in te reo. Attend a cultural event, learn the history of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, support Māori language revitalisation, or learn more about the current Māori ward referendum. All our cultures are part of the body of Christ, and there is a beauty in understanding one another and sharing life together.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
50 years ago, te reo Māori was at risk of disappearing from our schools and churches. This week, we celebrate 50 years of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) – a milestone in the revival of a language that shapes who we are as Aotearoa.
How did this come about, and why is it important for us, as members of the Anglican Church of New Zealand?
When the early whalers, sealers, traders and missionaries first came to New Zealand, many learned te reo Māori for their livelihoods, trade and survival. Many tangata whenua (people of the land – in this case, the Māori people) also learned English as they travelled the world. A Ngāpuhi chief, Ruatara, invited the first missionary, Samuel Marsden, to Aotearoa. On Christmas Day, 1814, Samuel Marsden presented the gospel in English, with Ruatara translating into te reo Māori.
Our first official sermon was bicultural.
After the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the population of European settlers grew and outnumbered Māori. In 1867, the Native Schools Act was introduced, where Māori tamariki (children) were required to speak only English at school, and were often punished for speaking te reo Māori.
In the 1970s, two student organisations – Ngā Tamatoa and Te Reo Māori Society – decided to revitalise the dying language. They petitioned for the language and the culture to be offered to all students in all schools around Aotearoa. This petition received over 30,000 signatures and led the government to introduce optional te reo Māori classes in primary and secondary schools.
The Anglican Church of Aotearoa has also gone through changes over the last 50 years. During the 1970s, the church re-examined the Treaty of Waitangi principles and bicultural development. In 1992, the General Synod adopted a new approach that allowed each culture to worship according to their tikanga (way, style, or cultural mode), while retaining an equal voice at future synods. This was the beginning of the current three tikanga of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia: Tikanga Māori, Tikanga Pasifika, and Tikanga Pākehā. You can read Dean Graham O’Brien’s article on that here.
The Nelson Anglican Diocese, of course, comes under Tikanga Pākehā.
So why is it important for us, as Tikanga Pākehā – churches who express faith shaped by New Zealand European culture – to learn and speak te reo?
Other than honouring the covenant of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, there are many benefits, but here are just a few.
Language is always a great key to truly understanding a culture. This is not just in formal settings, but in everyday life. It helps us understand and connect with Māori whānau (families), communities and culture.
There has been a lot of hurt caused to Māori over the last 200 years, including, at times, by the church. Learning the language helps us to understand what was lost, acknowledge the injustices, and move toward partnering and healing together.
As we are all created in the image of God, cultures different to our own can display this in unique ways. Te reo Māori offers rich spiritual and relational concepts that can deepen our Christian faith and community life. Although many of us are Pākehā, we need to be humble, curious and willing to learn from others. Our culture does not have all the answers, but many can be found in a wider community.
In the great words of Nelson Mandela:
If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.
So this week, go beyond mere greetings in te reo. Attend a cultural event, learn the history of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, support Māori language revitalisation, or learn more about the current Māori ward referendum. All our cultures are part of the body of Christ, and there is a beauty in understanding one another and sharing life together.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
