Matua Steve, what is your hope for te reo Māori in the next 50 years?

In the next 50 years, my hope is that te reo Māori continues to grow as both a taonga of Aotearoa New Zealand and as part of our bicultural responsibilities under te Tiriti o Waitangi. It is a right of Māori, and a privilege and responsibility for non-Māori, to use te reo Māori in every part of our changing world. By 2075, I hope te reo Māori is spoken more widely, with both Māori and non-Māori normalising kupu Māori in everyday life. I want to see people confident in holding conversations in te reo in schools, workplaces, and community spaces across the motu. If we all commit to valuing and using te reo Māori, it will thrive as a living language for future generations to come.

Mr Krakosky, what is your hope for te reo Māori in the next 50 years?

I believe that te reo Māori will be stronger than ever in 2075. Already, we are seeing an increase in the number of young people taking up the language. While many do not attempt to speak it fluently, the fact they are learning key words, phrases, and basic expressions in an important starting point. These early steps are creating a foundation that can grow into deeper knowledge over time. As more kura, communities, and whanau incorporate te reo Māori into everyday life, the language will become more visible and normalized in Aotearoa New Zealand. By 2075, te reo Māori will be spoken with confidence by a much larger part of the population.