‘Whāngaihia te reo ki ngā Mātua’ is the kaupapa of this year's Māori language week. 

It's been 40 years since Dame Whina Cooper and her mokopuna started walking from Te Haapua on the 1975 land march, as they set off on the journey of a life time. That moment is widely regarded as a flashpoint for Māori cultural reclamation. The northern matriarch’s protest was deliberately staged to coincide with the first Māori Language Day (later to become Māori Language Week). For Māori,   land/whenua/papātuānuku and language/reo are inextricably linked. Alienation of one is an alienation of the other. The image of Dame Whina and her mokopuna is a reminder of our past and the long journey we have taken.  It  also reflects on the importance of parents and caregivers in nurturing the next generation.

This is a collection of interviews and kianga from people from the Far North to celebrate the 40'th aniversary of Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori.

‘Whāngaihia te reo ki ngā Mātua’