Six60 and Te Reo Māori
- Supernaturegirl
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
This song fuses English and te reo Māori!
The song by New Zealand (Aotearoa) band Six60 is called Pepeha and was released in 2021. Its release was connected to Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week). This is a government-sponsored initiative to encourage New Zealanders to promote the use of the Māori language. The word pepeha references a form of self-introduction, where the speaker describes their ancestry and connections to the natural environment.
** Right now, the government of New Zealand is bending to the dairy industry and removing the Te Mana o Te Wai - a policy that puts the health of freshwater ecosystems first, the health of people second, and commercial use of water last. Take a moment to sign this petition: PETITION: Hands off freshwater protections | GREENPEACE AOTEAROA
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Language:
In Māori culture, the language is considered to be among the greatest of all taonga or cultural treasures. The 2018 New Zealand census reported that around 190,000 people could hold an everyday conversation in Māori. There has been an amazing linguistic revival here, with tools that can help other languages. Here are a few of the changes made that helped the resurgence:
Te reo Māori gained official status with the passing of the Māori Language Act in 1987.
A 1994 ruling held the Government responsible under the Treaty of Waitangi (1840) for the preservation of the language.
4 fundamental changes were recommended: Māori ownership and leadership, responsibility for setting the direction, increased powers within politics and education, and public schools needing to consult for lesson plans.
Currently, there is the Maihi Karauna Māori language revitalisation strategy with a goal of 1 million people speaking te reo Māori by 2040. Learn some of the language yourself with the links below:
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Language Links:
** Information was found by searching the internet and sources like Wikipedia.
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Artist Link: six60
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