The Maori language is in "worrying decline" among New Zealand's indigenous people and could die out without urgent government action to save it, a report warned Wednesday.
The Waitangi Tribunal found the government had failed to capitalise on increased interest among Maori in learning the language, known as "te reo", meaning it was becoming less common among indigenous New Zealanders.
"Te reo Maori is approaching a crisis point," tribunal chairman Joseph Williams said. "Diminishing proportions of younger speakers mean that the older native speakers passing away are simply not being replaced."
The tribunal is an independent body set up to rule on Maori claims against the state arising from the 1840 Treaty of Waitangi, which paved the way for European colonisation of New Zealand.
Williams was examining the language issue as part of a broader case involving Maori intellectual property rights but released his findings on te reo early because he felt the problems were so pressing.
"Most of the key indicators show that the language is currently going backward," he said, citing figures showing the number of children studying Maori language had fallen sharply in the past 20 years.
Williams said past government efforts to boost the language had been well-meaning but ineffective, calling for greater efforts to recruit Maori language teachers and include it on school curriculums.
He also recommended more consultation with Maori communities, which comprise about 15 percent of New Zealand's 4.4 million population.
Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples said the government was attempting to address the problem but said the fate of the language ultimately rested with Maori themselves.
"Governments can't save things," he said. "Governments can provide funding, programs and so on, which helps, but at the end of the day languages and culture is up to the people if they want it or don't want it."
He said it was up to Maori to ensure their children grew up learning the language.
Share
