Maori Language Awareness

New Zealand culture stems from the language of its people. Much of the wisdom of our land is tied into stories, stories in Te Maori as well as English. The lanaguage is only as valuable as there are large numbers of speakers. Language is basic to thought. Eliminating Maori thinking from our cultural makeup would not be the best thing for cultural growth.

We need common threads and a basis of strong national identify. Look how the Maori language has already been hugely successful every time the All Blacks do the Haka. It makes us internationally noticable, ferocious, in your face, interesting to the rest of the world.

That universal skill with Maori language serves our national pride better if we all understand it in all its spirit and meaning.

If the All Blacks were to try a wee Square Dance I am sure we would feel collectively confused as a nation. Teaching our kids Maori is perhaps the best way to replace racism with national pride.

English/Maori speakers form a multicultural society. Exclusion is the occlusion of National identify. We add value to our language by speaking it. Other languages could become an option in place of Maori after two years effort learning to speak the language of the other remaining people of New Zealand.