Maori Language Week
July 30th, 2009 at 10:10 am by David FarrarNa te mea ko te Wiki o te Reo Maori tenei i whakaaro au me whakatakoto he korero i roto i te reo, kia kitea te tokomaha te tokoiti ranei e taea ana te panui te tuhituhi ranei i roto tonu i tetahi o nga reo tuturu o Aotearoa. Tena, tukuna mai o whakaaro i roto i te reo. Engari, kaua ma te whakamahia i nga taonga whakamaorihia-a-rorohiko!
Tags: Maori Language Week
July 30th, 2009 at 10:14 am
translate.google.com thinks it’s albanian. And doesn’t do a very good job of translating it.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 10:19 am
Can somebody tell me what all that gibberish means?
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 10:20 am
its the haka for the durban test
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 10:26 am
It’s now confirmed: DPF is a Labour Party mole!
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Well that’ll be immensely helpful to anyone trying to develop new export markets in China and Eastern Europe.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 10:33 am
About as complicated as Welsh, less useful, and spoken by fewer people.
Nice for the Tourists though. Funny thing is, we should be learning Mandarin, or Spanish.
Maori is a written language gifted to the early settlers by the missionaries.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 10:35 am
I’ll learn maori, when maoris pronounce English correctly.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Chris2 – given most ‘kiwis’ can’t even speak English correctly (our Prime Minister as one example), this is a pretty naive and shallow dig.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 10:38 am
Chris2 – do you mean pronounce English properly, or pronounce it the same way that you do?
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 10:47 am
So its someone else’s fault that you can’t understand this BB? I’m always embarrassed and apologetic if I cannot understand another language. Let me guess, mono-lingual?
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 10:47 am
David Farrar, ‘Oku ‘ikai ke mahino kia au ha fo’i lea ‘e taha ‘i ho’o tohi faka-mauli ‘i ‘olunga.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 10:51 am
We can all make symbolic efforts if we want to DPF – Even I (who knows not one word of maori) could probably copy and paste something from somewhere if I wanted to.
Im all in favour of every NZer havng to learn two languages – english and one other. But as for maori language AND the culture that the language police insist goes with it – never. Its a culture of violence and its about time people started to put 2 and 2 together and start to ask the elephant in the room question: why are maori so violent?
Vote:And the usual answer of “its the colonial influence” is just escapist bullshit. the real answer is that its the culture.
July 30th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Please patronise me some more
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Yes. Lets all waste time learning a dying and irrelevant language. Maori is not a vibrant language, neither is it sexy despite what those idiotic TV ads said. It is a language that only survives thanks to sentimentality.
The primary purpose of language is to communication. Very VERY few people speak Maori and not English, so who is there to communicate with? I understand that Maori want to keep their language around as an attachment to their cultural history, and that is fine for them. Go for it. But there is no reason for anyone else to give a sod.
According to this list we would be better off learning French sign language.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_languages_by_number_of_native_speakers
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 11:01 am
Whenever people talk about low-general-use languages they always use the argument that we should only learn and support languages on an economic basis. Is there no room for simply keeping a language alive simply because it exists? I can understand the resistance to the “language police” effect that invariably accompanies threatened languages, the sort of zealous self-righteousness that would put off even the most patient types, but dismissing an entire language on the basis of its economic benefit is short-sighted and frankly bullshit.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Who gives a shit.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Excellent, well informed comment barry – obviously you are not one to make assumptions – ever heard of a place called Parihaka?
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 11:27 am
I never learnt Maori. I am fluent in English, 2 other European languages, and passable in another. I do really like the sound of Maori, and if I had the time, I might learn some of it. However, not too many people use it on a daily basis, so it would be on an “I’m interested in a hobby kind-of way” basis. Welsh on the other hand, is actually used a lot in everyday life Wales…I really felt like a foreigner when I spent some time there…
I did hear a Maori performer sing in Chch lately – he sang songs in English and Maori, and he sounded so much better in Maori. That guy could SING!
I respect the native language and culture of New Zealand, but see no need for me to learn it, other than a hobby (maybe through part-govt funded night classes – right after silk tie-dying…?)
R
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 11:27 am
“Who gives a shit.” Ruby – given that New Zealand is the only place that Maori is spoken perhaps we all should ?
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 11:37 am
I don’t mind if people want to advertise the Maori language etc, but having all the NZ place names on the weather map in Maori on the TV One news is just silly. I’m sure even Maori don’t use some weird transliteration for Napier instead of the actual place name.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Bryan Spondre aka The Link Whore (188) Vote: 0 1 Says:
July 30th, 2009 at 11:27 am
“Who gives a shit.” Ruby – given that New Zealand is the only place that Maori is spoken perhaps we all should ?
Hey, NZ is the only place in the world that has Maori TV, let’s all give a shit about that and go watch it.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Ruby – “The past month is now the channel’s best ratings to date with a monthly cumulative audience of 767,000 unique viewers – beating the April record of 722,000.Over the past six months, an average monthly cumulative audience of more than 695,000 unique viewers have tuned into Māori Television – an increase of more than 100 per cent from its first six months on air in 2004.” http://bit.ly/nHEET It does appear that a fair few NZer’s do “give a shit” about Maori TV.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 11:56 am
What a load of ignorant twats.
The Maori language is not dying, and language is culture, not just a means to communicate. How dare you ridicule the efforts of Maori to keep their language alive, it keeps their culture alive.
And don’t forget, Maori, English and sign language are all official NZ languages, so should be compulsorily be taught in schools. Perhaps then, we may get rid of the social and racial divide in this country!!!
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
I can’t think of anything more ‘kiwi’ than being able to speak Maori.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
@peanut – “and language is culture, not just a means to communicate” – excellent points.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Wow. This thread has reminded how far we still have to come in NZ to beat ignorance and racial hatred. So maori are violent? What a plain stupid generalisation. Us Pakeha are such a peace loving people and have no history of violence eh.
It would have been awesome to have learned Maori at school. It would have given me insights into the nature of language and improved my understanding of linguistics, I would be able to speak a language unique to NZ, I would be able to watch more of Maori TV (I really want to watch the Mr Ed remake) and I would have a better understanding of Maori culture. If we had all learned it at school there would be a lot less ignorant and racist comments on threads like these.
This post will probably spark a barrage of comments that prove my point, though I hope to be pleasantly surprised.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
And don’t forget, Maori, English and sign language are all official NZ languages, so should be compulsorily be taught in schools. Perhaps then, we may get rid of the social and racial divide in this country!!!
I can hardly think of a faster way to piss everybody off. I had ten years of Sunday school and now have zero ability to tolerate anything religious. How about – god forbid – letting people choose what works for them, rather than forcing them sacrifice their time and effort to satisfy somebody else’s will.
Radical, I know.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 12:26 pm
Ben, I didn’t realise that Primary students could choose what subjects to learn. I wish I could’ve dumped maths at age 6 and picked up finger-painting instead. Teaching 2 languages to our children would certainly help our literacy rates and we’d have more kids understanding what the difference is between a verb and a noun.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
“Perhaps then, we may get rid of the social and racial divide in this country!!!”
I can think of a lot of ways that could get rid of the social and racial divide in NZ, forcing all Kiwi’s to learn an irrelevant language is not one of them.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Nice argument Philonz. Who said anything about handing the choice to kids? Not me.
The point is not that 2 languages wouldn’t be nice. FWIW I’d love to speak a second language. The point is that that investment has to be made at the expense of something else – like maths perhaps or science, and so on – and for some it will not be a good fit.
So making it compulsory is going to potentially do a great deal of harm – and for what? To satisfy the political preferences of a vocal minority who bear none of the cost? Please.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
“get rid of the social and racial divide in this country”
You could start by getting rid of the maori party
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 1:31 pm
“Learning Languages” and the official languages of NZ are already a part of the primary curriculum. We wouldn’t have to cut out a subject to teach more maori in schools. We could do more to incorporate using Maori in the teaching of grammar etc. Yes, we would have to divert some resources away from other areas to teach it but it wouldn’t mean the end of science or maths.
For some students maths, English or science aren’t a good fit but we teach it anyway because it is good for the country to have an educated populace. Of course we would need to train more maori teachers to start with as we have a big shortage.
Thanks for the reasoned arguments Ben. Makes a nice change from some of the other knee-jerk generalisations that others seem to rely on during race relations debates. Still don’t agree with you though.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 1:54 pm
Lots of outrage here. Not sure why. DPF chose to post something in Maori on his blog – his own personal property. Would you be so upset if he decided to name his house (because he had that sort of inclination) and instead of calling it “Sunnyvale” or some such stupid name, instead picked a Maori name? And put that on a sign over the door?
You may all have a point in your feelings and beliefs about the Maori language. But I’m not sure why they belong on this post. Since I don’t speak Maori I have NFI what that actually is. I’d guess it says something like “This week is Maori language week” and some bumf about what that means.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 1:57 pm
In Europe, the native language is taught, and English as a second language is compulsory. When you teach language at a young age, it becomes second nature and far easier to learn. They don’t have a choice.
So, Ben, please elaborate how it could be harmful to teach Maori in schools? It is a matter of respect and understanding of their culture.
Maori are here to stay, you can’t just ignore them and think they will fade away, or ship them off to a remote island. You show your ignorance and bigotry.
And Patrick Starr, the Maori Party are the best thing that has happened to Maori in this country. One day the Maori seats will go, and Maori will be elected to govt via the Maori Party. That has to be far better than having seats allocated to them, as a matter of right.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
If NZ wanted to improve literacy rates, beyond making sure every child has access to a fantastic library, we ought to be teaching Latin as a second language, not Maori. There is a great deal of Latin in the English language, a number of ancient European languages are based on Latin (French, Spanish, Italian) and a great deal of ancient literature is written in Latin. Latin is more exact and disciplined in it’s meanings than English and leads to an improved appreciation of grammar. Improved understanding of English would make NZ’ers less tolerant of sloppy language that hides exact meanings (ie political speak).
I’m not really sure what the point of Maori is except as a hobby for those that would like to learn it and those of Maori descent. I’m Polish and learned Polish for that reason as a child, but I’m not teaching it to my children. I’m teaching them Latin and then most likely French.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 2:09 pm
Lucia Maria,
I totally disagree. I learned Latin at school, and it is a very difficult language to learn. Sure, it is the basis of English, French and Italian, but the language is no longer used. I encourage you to teach your children French, but you are from Europe and have roots there. We are from NZ and part of our heritage is with Maori.
In NZ, we already use Maori words in our local language. We are bi-cultural and need to respect each others culture. I would be happy for my children to learn Maori at school and, in saying that, would like Maori to learn correct English as we speak it.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 2:16 pm
Where can you learn Maori without all the “Maaori ist ze master race” racial supremacist bullshit? When I took French at school, it was interesting to get some historical and cultural insights without being browbeaten about how the French were masters of diplomacy with the most refined tastes and other cultural myths.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
peanut – We are bi-cultural and need to respect each others culture.
I have no desire to, do not see the need to, and will not be forced to respect maori culture. To me, it is contemptible.
People may deserve / earn respect, not cultures or institutions.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 2:28 pm
ISeeRed, did you just infer that the teaching of the Maori language is in some way similar to Nazi white supremicists preaching their own brand of hatred?
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Peanut,
I was born here.
How many New Zealanders are like me, European in heritage but born in this country? I’d say quite a fair number.
Latin is not that hard, and it’s still being used. It’s the international language of the Church and has been for a very, long time.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Well MyNameIsJack,
Your comments have just proved that that ignorance, bigotry and hatred are alive and well in this country.
I am ashamed that people like you have such contempt for your fellow countrymen.
And by the way, if Maori language and culture were taught at schools at an early age, people like you would not exist.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
Lucia, why not teach your kids Polish? It’s part of their heritage after all, but hey, they’re your kids.
Vote:On a more pedantic note, if you’re going to advocate for Latin on the basis that it improves the standard of English, you really shouldn’t have greengrocers’ apostrophes in your post
July 30th, 2009 at 2:37 pm
Lucia Maria,
When you said you were Polish, I assumed you were from Poland. I am surprised you do not call yourself a New Zealander.
I, too, have European roots, but I was born here and respect the bi-cultural heritage of this country. OK, you could say NZ is now multi-cultural, but our foundations were based on Maori and European partnerships and nothing at all can change that.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 2:38 pm
peanut (104) Vote: 0 0 Says:
July 30th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Well MyNameIsJack,
Your comments have just proved that that ignorance, bigotry and hatred are alive and well in this country.
They’ve done nothing of the sort, they have simply shown that I do not subscribe to your group think.
I am ashamed that people like you have such contempt for your fellow countrymen.
You should really be ashamed by your own lack of comprehension. Where did I express contempt for any people? I expressed contempt for a culture I believe to be primitive, violent and counter productive, not to mention anti-human rights. Unlike you, I am able to see people as humans, not as prisoners of a cultural construct they may not even subscribe to.
And by the way, if Maori language and culture were taught at schools at an early age, people like you would not exist.
Why? Do you think brainwashing is the answer? Why would you want children brought up to think that violence is normal, that aggression is the best form of greeting and that progression to a civilised state is impossible?
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
What’s Maori for “getting involved in this thread would be a predictably massive waste of time”?
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 2:42 pm
peanut (104) Vote: 8 11 Says:
July 30th, 2009 at 11:56 am
so should be compulsorily be taught in schools. Perhaps then, we may get rid of the social and racial divide in this country!!!
Get ya hand off it. If you want to learn it go for it but dont fucken tell me its compulsory to learn…labour twat
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
…dont fucken tell me its compulsory to learn…labour twat
Never let it be said the right wingers are interested in knowledge.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Starboard, don”t assume I am Labour, because you dont like what I say. I have never voted for any left wing party. I just think fairly.
Jack,
Before you start ranting about the violent culture of Maori, I suggest you look at the long violent history of all ethnic peoples, including Europeans.
Does the reformation in England and Europe in the 1500s/1600s spring to mind?
Or how about Guantanamo Bay?
And you can’t separate culture from people. That does not make sense. Culture does not exist without people.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 2:53 pm
MyNameIsJack,
If you believe that you are not a result of your cultural heritage then you ARE ignorant. Our education system, laws, parliamentary system etc have been strongly influenced by our culture. We’ve certainly got plenty of violence ingrained in Europen culture. We are not prisoners of this cultural heritage but it has helped to make us who we are whether we like it or not. When I visited Ireland I learn’t a lot about how my Catholic upbringing had helped to make me the way i am, for better or worse.
So it stands to reason that Maori are the same. Surely if we learn a bit more about their culture then we might be able to work together better than we are now. For example the traditional Maori educational concepts (ako) make a lot of sense to me and could help all NZers learn better. Look it up, you might learn something.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
peanut (106) Vote: 0 0 Says:
July 30th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Jack,
Before you start ranting about the violent culture of Maori, I suggest you look at the long violent history of all ethnic peoples, including Europeans.
Most of us have moved on, maori culture hasn’t.
And you can’t separate culture from people. That does not make sense. Culture does not exist without people.
You’re partly right, culture does not exist without people, but people are not tied to any particular culture. They can move among cultures, or eschew their supposed birth culture whenever they like.
Where do you think James Takamore be buried?
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 2:56 pm
I have to say that if I were going to learn a language it would probably be French or something. I don’t see what the point of learning Maori would be. Are there any Maori who don’t speak English? I don’t want to criticise those who want to learn for cultural reasons, but I don’t agree with compulsory teaching of it in schools. Do they teach children compulsorily to speak Native American in the US? I doubt it. All our trading, commerce, etc is done in English in NZ.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
Philonz: that we have a political party founded purely on racial lines without a peep of protest from anyone shows racial supremacy is alive and well in “Aotearoa”. I’ve met Pakeha who have had bigoted views of Maori, but never HATED them. On the other hand, I’ve met a few Maoris who HATE the white man. That hate has been learned from all-too-willing peddlers of race-based hate. So take your faux outrage out on them.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
Red,
We also have a party based on Christian values and one based on environmental values. So what?
At least if the Maori party can represent Maori in their own right, we may be able to dump the Maori seats and they can be voted in on their policies alone. There are many Pakeha who vote for the Maori Party, based on their policy.
I have met Pakeha who hate Maori collectively, without actually knowing why. I think the hatred goes both ways, it seems to be part of human nature.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
So yes, I’d like to learn Maori if I don’t have some quarter-caste tiki-welding faux intellectual making subtle but snide remarks about my own skin colour or assumed heritage as he intersperses grammar lessons and vocabulary drills with revisionist history and modern myth-making.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 3:33 pm
Red,
Fair comment. As I said, it goes both ways. Both cultures have to respect each other and if Pakeha have got the guts to learn Maori they should be shown respect.
But if the language was taught early in schools, we would all be on a more level playing field.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
peanut: so what are “Maori values” then? You can choose or not choose to believe in Christianity or environmentalism. You can’t choose your DNA. Hence, all race-based pride, values and identity is just crap. But if race-based parties are cool with you, will you join a “Pakeha Party” if I start one? I thought not.
This race-based tribalism is an evolutionary hangover from our proto-primate days. We simply MUST move away from a racial basis for determining self-identify, values, self-worth. It’s divisive, delusional and destructive. No chance of that with the peanuts of the world still peddling myths about “Maori values”.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
No, peanut: we don’t need to show “Maori” respect. We don’t need to show “Pakeha” respect. We should show respect to individuals who we think have earned it. For me, someone’s deeds is much more important than someone’s DNA.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
I’m pretty sure we often teach English and history with the same revisionist and myth-making aspects. Doesn’t make it right though. I guess that would require us to write the curriculum carefuly.
Jack, Maori culture is more than “once were warriors” and kapa haka. Maori culture is evolving just as european culture is. It’s just coming from a different perspective and I reckon it would be handy for us all to have some insight into this. As I mentioned before education is one example where I think we can learn from the Maori approach.
Why am I bothering combating broad and uniformed generalisations with reasoned arguments? I might just leave you all to it… kia kaha Peanut.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
Red,
I believe that the Maori party is a way forward for Maori. We have Maori seats which only Maori must get. I disagree with that. I see the Maori Party as way for Maori to be voted into govt on their own merits and policy.
At least if the Maori Party can stand on their own in govt, it has to be better than giving them seats as a matter of right. You may not agree with that, but it has to be better than what we have now. Let them be proud and stand up and say we dont need Maori seats, we can get votes without them. And they do have to be represented in Parliament, whether you like it or not.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 4:10 pm
peanut, why do you persist in racist stereotyping?
Why do you think maori can only be represented in parliament by maori? Why do you think maori are a homogenous group? can’t maori be represented by pakeha? Can’t maori vote labour or ACT?
And where do YOU think James Takamore should be buried?
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 4:19 pm
Jack,
Read my above thread. It is not about racial stereotyping, its about giving Maori a voice they are confident with and getting rid of the Maori seats. Did Labour represent Maori when they brought in the Foreshore and Seabed legislation-I think not. That is how the Maori Party came about-they wanted their own representation.
You should know politics well enough to know that most parties represent portions of the population, so why does the Maori Party deserve your contempt.
As for James Takamore-Maori believe they should be buried amonst their whanau, so they wont be alone. If James Takamore did not want that, he should have written his wishes into his will. However, body snatching is totally unacceptable and both parties should have been reasonable enough to discuss the best outcome.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 4:23 pm
big bruv (4106)
July 30th, 2009 at 10:19 am
“Can somebody tell me what all that gibberish means?”
Congratulations on demonstrating your ignorance
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
peanut, why are you such a racist?
Why can’t you see the person behind the race?
Why should James Takamore have to write something in his will so that people he has no connection with won’t do what he doesn’t want done?
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I am not a racist, and I do not stereotype all Maori. Yes, many Maori vote for other parties, but that is not the debate is it.
rac·ist [ ráyssist ]
Definition:
prejudiced against other races: prejudiced against all people who belong to other races
Definition:
racist person: somebody who hates others who are not of his or her own race
James Takamore would have known the tradtions of his family, so due to the fact he didn’t write anything in his will one must assume he was ok with the burial site. Why do you think people write wills,duh.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
He iwi tahi tatou.
Some years ago I had a business employing a number of guys from various racial backgrounds. Greek, Indian, Middle Eastern, Maori and so on. All of these guys could speak the language of their ancestors and most went to some sort of Sunday school to do so when they were young. Except for the Maoris.
Vote:I have always thought that if the language was so important to Maori that every Sunday in every marae that kaumatua would be teaching the mokopuna Te Reo and their whakapapa. Instead of making the bad naughty colonists do it.
July 30th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
Sorry peanut, you are right, and I was wrong to call you a racist. you’re not. But you are a culturalist. You persist in seeing maori through the lens of what you percieve to be their culture, never accepting that they can change, as can their culture. That some may want to cut themselves off from that culture.
And that is what James Takamore did.
Those who stole his body would have ignored anything he wrote in a will, just as they ignored the wishes of his wife and the person he appointed as the executor of his estate. Maori are good at demanding respect for their culture, but never seem to be able to show respect to the culture of others.
Have you written in your will that you don’t want your body stolen and buried in a palce you feel no connection with?
Am I a racist? yep, you betcha!
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Crikey – why all this angst when DPF acknowledges Maori language week, tokenistically or otherwise? No one’s forcing you to read it.
As someone who’s tried to learn several languages, to various levels of incompetence, I admire those who can speak a second language well.
But as someone who teaches compulsory English in a country where English is not the mother tongue and of no great importance in the eyes of many students, despite a good deal of government propaganda and its role in the economy, I’m extremely sceptical of the value of coerced second language learning. Can supporters of compulsory Maori state clearly what specific outcomes they expect, what evidence they have that compulsory Maori will achieve these outcomes, how long it will take to achieve these outcomes, and what other learning they will give up to achieve these outcomes?
I ask these questions because in my four decades of teaching I’ve seen many vague, optimistic and unrealised claims for various programs by enthusiasts who think they can just keep adding stuff to the curriculum. Moreover, if we look at a country such as Ireland (whose comparability to NZ is of course debatable) we see that after eighty years of compulsory Irish for nationalistic reasons, the majority say they cannot speak the language, about half of those who say they can speak it do not actually speak it, and the three estimates of proficiency, fluency or near-fluency I’ve seen (by a government department, an NGO and Irish Language TV) range from four to twelve percent.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
“Before you start ranting about the violent culture of Maori, I suggest you look at the long violent history of all ethnic peoples, including Europeans.
Most of us have moved on, maori culture hasn’t.”
Yup – you never see violence amongst Europeans (apart from ethnic cleansing in the former Yugoslavia, terrorism by the IRA and ETA et al, the odd carpet bombing of other countries, the odd serial murderer, the occasional Guantanamo Bay). We’ve so moved on.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
We already have a Pakeha party, they are just smart enough not to call themselves that.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
I do not like the constant Maori this, Maori that. Every time something happens it is overdone if Maori are involved.
Vote:The Maori bullshit is rammed down our throats at every opportunity through radio, TV and newspapers, right down to forcing kids at school to be part.
There should be a choice instead of propaganda from a minority. In my ear all day, it gets tiring.
July 30th, 2009 at 6:32 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Languages_of_South_Africa
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
You’re right Steve. I’m perfectly fine with Maori protecting their language and culture among themselves, but when it’s in your face constantly and almost always funded by the tax payer, it gets a little annoying. It seems in this nation building a so-called “multicultural state” only works one way. It promotes diversity and is delivering the opposite. PC liberal bullshit.
It seems Maoris also seem to think their is only two types of people exist in this nation, when the Asian population is expected to surpass theirs in coming years.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
I’ll tell a story about Maori Language week a few years ago.
One of my top class Maori clients came into my office. He was about 5′ 1″ and about 20 stone. Some people joked that it was quicker to go over the top of him than go around him. Anyway, I greeted him;
“Tana kotou, tena kotou, tana kotou, katoa.”
“Are you making fun of my size?” he asked.
“No, just welcoming you in Maori for it is Maori Language Week.”
He replied; “No you aren’t. You are saying welcome to all of you, to all of you, to all of you. And I am here by myself”
I gave up te reo after that. It is improper to insult wonderful men like that man.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
> It seems Maoris also seem to think their is only two types of people exist in this nation
It’s that attitude that I take exception to – and see so much of from the likes of the Maori Party. The view that that there are two kinds of people in NZ – those that are “Tāngata Whenua” and those that aren’t.
I fail to see how such a view is different from the racism that we see (and rightly frown upon) in our society.
Vote:July 30th, 2009 at 9:50 pm
The New Zealand Curriculum – Official languages
What nonsense!
Vote:July 31st, 2009 at 10:12 am
@ISeeRed-
Two points I have noticed in your recent posts here. Firstly the concept of race science is void and invalid, biological races do not exist in society. Social races do however but any assertion that these are based in genetics is false and highly misleading. Maori and Pakeha are ethnic groups!
As for the Maori party themselves they are about redressing the wrongs committed against the Maori people and ensuring that there is a Maori voice in parliament. There is some irony in accusing the victims of race ideology of being the perpetrators when they are trying to secure equal footing. Somewhat of a not so subtle attempt to keep them in their place.
Vote: