Minister challenges Ngā Manu Kōrero orators

  • Te Ururoa Flavell
Maori Development

Māori Development Minister, Te Ururoa Flavell, is challenging Māori speakers to use te reo everywhere.

Mr Flavell laid down the wero (challenge) today at the pōwhiri of the National speech competition, Ngā Manu Kōrero, which is being held in Porirua this week.

Ngā Manu Kōrero is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year.

“I want to wish all of the 60 or so competing students the best of luck in the secondary school competition”, says Mr Flavell.

Mr Flavell urged people at the event to honour the people, who fought for the recognition of te reo Māori as an official language of Aotearoa.

“I challenge you to speak te reo as much as possible.  Please don’t waste the efforts of those people, who struggled to have our rights to use the language recognised”, he said.

He says Ngā Manu Kōrero is a taonga, and similar to the latest proposed Māori Language (Te Reo Māori) Bill, its objective is to help keep Te Reo Māori alive”, he says.

The Māori Language Bill aims to give tāngata whenua greater control over the future of the reo.

“I hope to continue pushing the boundaries like my predecessors.  My ambition is for this new Bill to enter the House and be enacted in Te Reo Māori”, he says.