Kōkiri pays tribute to those who delivered a Māori language petition withover 30,000 plus signatures to parliament in September 1972. Totorewa, of Ngaati Maho, says the petition was the beginning of a renaissance for te reo Māori.
“It’s about whakamana i te reo Maori (strengthening the Māori language) and that gives us huge inspiration to what see what we have now such as kura kaupapa, wharekura, whare wānanga, reo irirangi," he says.
“There are lines in the waiata that say ‘ākona te reo i ngā kura’ so reo should be taught in schools and it’s also remembering those who fought for te reo Māori during those times like Ngā Tamatoa, Polynesian Panthers and Te Reo Māori Society.”
Nationwide | Nationwide | 2020-29 | Story is by tangata whenua
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