Kei aku nui, kei aku rahi, tēnā rā koutou katoa.
Koinei Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, he wiki e whakaatu ai i tā tātou maimoa i te reo Māori, i te pīrangi ki te tiaki i tēnei reo kia kaha ai, kia haumaru ai mō ngā uri whakaheke.
I a tātou e urupare tonu nei i ngā wero o te Kowheori-19, e kitea ana te tika o te kōrero mō te tiaki i tētahi taonga kia haumaru ai i tēnei wā, ā, hei ngā rā ki tua anō hoki.
Koinā pū ngā mahi a te Ratonga Tūmatanui i ngā wā o te urupare i te Kowheori-19 – te tautoko i te whakahaumarutanga o te katoa i Aotearoa, ahakoa ko te kaupare atu i te Kowheori-19 i ō tātou hapori, ko te ū rānei ki te kawe i ngā ratonga ki ērā o Aotearoa e ora nei i ēnei ratonga. Koirā tā mātou whāinga matua.
E poho kererū katoa ana ahau i ngā whakapaunga kaha a ngā kaimahi tūmatanui o te Ratonga Tūmatanui puta noa i Aotearoa e kaha nei ki te mahi i ngā mahi e haumaru ai, e ora ai te hunga o Aotearoa.
Ngā mihi tino nunui ki a koutou katoa.
E haere tonu nei ngā mahi.
Engari, hei āpōpō, hei te 12 karaka i te ahi, ka whai wāhi atu tātou ki te hāpai i te mahi o te āta tiaki i te taonga o te motu, i te reo Māori. Ko Te Wā Tuku Reo Māori ka tū āpōpō e tohu nei i tētahi wā hirahira i ngā kōrero tuku iho mō te motu, ko te wā tēnei, i te tau 1972, i whakatakoto ai i te Petihana mō te Reo i te Whare Pāremata.
Ko ngā wā pēnei i ēnei e whakamāori nei i te whakamahinga o te reo Māori i ia rā, e hāpai nei hoki i te whakarauoratanga o te reo Māori. Ka whakamahi ana tātou i tā tātou e mōhio nei – ahakoa ruarua noa ngā kupu – e whai hua ana ia kupu. Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu.
E rongo ana au i te pikinga o te whakamahinga o te reo Māori puta noa i te Ratonga Tūmatanui. He rawe tēnā ki a au.
He wāhi nui ki te Ratonga Tūmatanui i te whakarauoratanga o te reo Māori me te whakapiki i ngā āheinga e pai ai tā mātou hāpai i te hononga o te Karauna ki te Māori i raro i Te Tiriti o Waitangi. He mea nui hoki te āta whakarite wā ki te whakanui, ki te kite, ki te whakapoapoa i tēnei āhuatanga.
E āki ana au i a koutou katoa ki te hiki i te reo Māori, ki te uru atu hoki ki ngā mahi o Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, ahakoa te āhua, tae atu ana ki Te Wā Tuku Reo Māori.
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā nō tātou katoa.
Kia kaha te reo Māori!
Kei aku nui, kei aku rahi, tēnā rā koutou katoa.
It’s Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, a time to show we value te reo Māori and want to keep this taonga strong and safe for future generations.
As we continue to respond to the challenges of COVID-19, it seems appropriate to talk about keeping taonga safe, now and in the future.
That’s exactly what our Public Service has been doing throughout the COVID-19 response – helping protect everyone in Aotearoa, whether by keeping COVID-19 out of our communities, or by ensuring we continue delivering the services New Zealanders rely on. That is our mission.
I’m immensely proud of the efforts of the Public Service and the public servants across the country who are working so hard to keep New Zealanders safe and supported. Ngā mihi tino nunui ki a koutou katoa.
This work is ongoing.
But tomorrow at 12pm we have an opportunity to take a moment, to play a role in actively protecting the national taonga that is te reo Māori. Tomorrow’s Māori Language Moment marks an important time in our nation’s history when, in 1972, the Māori Language Petition was presented to Parliament.
Moments like these help us normalise the use of te reo Māori in everyday conversations and contribute to language revitalisation. When we use what we know – even if it’s only a few words – every word makes a difference. Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu | Although it is small, it is a treasure.
I’m hearing te reo Māori being used more and more across the Public Service. I think that’s great.
The Public Service has an important role to play in supporting the revitalisation of te reo Māori and to grow our capability so we can support the Crown in its relationships with Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi (te Tiriti o Waitangi). That we take the time to celebrate, recognise, and reward this is important too.
I encourage you all to embrace te reo Māori and to get involved with Te Wiki o te reo Māori and tomorrow’s Māori Language Moment in whatever way you can.
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā nō tātou katoa.
