Every year since 1975 New Zealand has marked Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori - Maori Language Week. This year the theme is Te Reo i te Kainga - Maori Language in the Home. The week is an opportunity for all New Zealanders to celebrate te reo Maori and encourage the use of more Maori phrases in everyday life.

Three Ministry for Culture and Heritage websites, NZHistory.net.nz, Teara.govt.nz, and NZLive.com have information on what 'Maori Language Week' means to New Zealanders and how we can celebrate it.Want to know the history of Maori Language Week? Find out at www.nzhistory.net.nz

The future of the Maori language was the subject of a claim before the Waitangi Tribunal in 1985. Find out how the resulting decision helped the resurgence of te reo Maori from late last century.

Now over 130,000 people of Maori ethnicity speak and understand te reo Maori. Discover the language's decline and revival.

Learn 100 Maori words every New Zealander should know, from greetings to place names. Not only see the word and its translation, but also listen to how the word is pronounced.

An important feature of the New Zealand encyclopedia, www.TeAra.govt.nz, is its Maori content. The Maori perspective is presented with each of the encyclopedia's themes, and entries with substantial Maori content are available in the Maori language.

A section on Maori has a wealth of information from its people, culture and urbanisation to the impact from the arrival of Europeans.

On the
Signposts blog, Maori Editor Basil Keane will showcase the use of te reo Maori on TeAra.govt.nz and show visitors how they can access and utilise this resource.

NZLive.com will keep people across the country posted about a range of events and activities during Maori Language Week.

All over the country there will be plenty of opportunities to get out and celebrate the Maori language - from kapahaka performances and concerts to exhibitions and events.

Press Release: Ministry For Culture And Heritage

22/07/08