Phil Green
To be Te Reo, or not to be, that is the question and no less of an important topic for those citizens in the South Seas who formerly thought they were living in a multi-cultural paradise.
Within a few short years, New Zealanders have gone from knowing which governmental authority to apply to, whichever access they required, to not even recognising a governmental department by its new name.
The IRD is easy because it’s “Te Tari Taake”, and tax everywhere is known as the government ‘taking’, so I’ve always found that amusing. But what’s not so amusing is the 80% of New Zealanders who’ve suddenly found their governmental departments unrecognisable.
According to this interview with Peeni Henare in September last year, the number of Te Reo speakers in New Zealand is 185,000; I thought was an overestimate, but there we have it.
What this translates to, is 185,000 people speaking Maori part-time, because to function in New Zealand today, even if it’s buying a coffee or yakking to your whanau, who most likely are less fluent than you, you speak in te lingo. This may come as a surprise, but English is what most of the Anglosphere speak, including New Zealand. Just ask the gangs.
But what the most incredible part of this interview revealed, is that Peeni isn’t that sure whether Te Reo should be accessible to others outside of the exclusive club.
In the interview, he said, “Maori needed to safeguard Te Reo. If we give it to everyone and anyone, what will become of it? I have said to my colleagues that I do not support making Te Reo Maori compulsory in schools.”
Funnily enough, in my wilder progressive days, even I called for compulsory Maori language in schools while race relations were benign and seemed to be keeping pace with the rolling maul that is now aggressively Tikanga Maori.
Not now, no longer, while the Maori language is being used as the vanguard of an authoritarian new society.
Peeni Henare went on to say, “Moreover, we have to consult with every iwi and Maori community across the country to see if they want to give their language to non-Maori,”
He said most of the feedback he’d received from Maori was they treasured Te Reo – and didn’t want to give it to just anyone.
“I think it’s the right way to ease non-Maori into supporting our language.”
Henare said he wanted “Te reo Maori to thrive and be protected”. But how is this to be achieved when the aims and goals are conflicting?
On one hand, the Maori elite wants everyone to recognise and revere Te reo, but on the other, they’re concerned if it’s diluted it’ll lose its mysticism.
I’m thinking he means Te reo should be protected from the deplorables, the hoi polloi – us which translates to 80% of the population. I’m being generous with the percentage.
My view is, that for the many Maori elite who are prospering from white guilt, the Maori way has become an esoteric mission where they are way beyond any need for explaining, and believe history is on their side to fulfil a rightful legacy.
If in doubt, you only need to refer to each major political party about their commitment to the UN’s policies for indigenous populations. It’s a done deal, and National won’t be doing anything to risk seeing another Dame Whina-like pilgrimage, nor another Foreshore and Seabed protest on parliament during their watch.
To his credit, though not leading a major political party, Winston Peters is aggressively taking the battle directly to those responsible, and he’s taking no prisoners attacking anything that moves which opposes democracy and one person, one vote. Good man.
Lately, I’ve noticed more cars sporting “Rangatiratanga” flags and stickers on their cars. Earlier, I’d have thought, “That’s cool”, but now I have an oppressive, heavy feeling about the lack of recognition and thoughtlessness among those sporting these divisive symbols about where this is taking our once beautiful country.
