Māori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples to launch books on language struggle

‘Without Māori dynamics, including the language, Māori are Pākehā,’ states Chris Winitana in his latest books, My Language, My Inspiration and the Māori edition Tōku Reo, Tōku Ohooho, which explore the struggle to save the Māori language over the last forty years.

The books will be launched at Parliament by the Hon. Dr Pita Sharples on Wednesday 6 July. The two books outline the efforts by numerous Māori groups and individuals that helped save the language from decline, in which the Minister himself played a major role.

The books contain interviews with two dozen people who were active in the fight for the Māori language and include photographs of key events and people.

The history explores the reasons for the decline of the language and charts its resurgence through initiatives such as Waitangi Tribunal claims, petitions and demonstrations for the Māori language and the development of the Rākau method of learning. It also discusses the establishment of institutions such as kōhanga reo, Kura Kaupapa, Māori Radio and Māori Television.

About the author
The books have been written by Māori language and custom consultant, writer and journalist Chris Winitana. It only seems appropriate that the books be launched during Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, a week that is gaining more recognition from the nation with incentives prompted by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori.

Media release supplied by Huia Publishers