From New Zealand to Aotearoa: Maori asks to reclaim the country’s native place name | International

Every day, Prime Minister New Zealand, Jacinta Artern, appeared against the press on Monday Delta variant of Govit-19. His speech was not only in English, but also in the other official language of the Orthodox language, Maori. Other members of the government and the media are joining in these days For the efforts of the Prime Minister Introduce words in that language into your speech. This is their way of celebrating the weekend of De Rio Miori, the native language of New Zealand. The country’s Mari party chose this week to launch a petition to change the country’s official name to New Zealand from its Mori name Aotearoa, to the country of the long white cloud.

The co-chair of the organization, Raviri Waiti, announced this controversial decision of his party in front of the press this Tuesday with a traditional native tattoo on his face: “The time has come. The Rio Maurice Restore its proper place as the primary and official language in this country. We are a Polynesian country, we are Autorova ”. The petition calls on all cities and towns in the country to adopt their M மori name in a process that will culminate in 2026.

L de Rio Maurice It saw a steady decline after World War II, when officials actively encouraged its public use and thereby integrated the language of the British colonialists. This official trend was reversed in 1987, when Maori was recognized as the official language of New Zealand in an effort to revive the endangered language. Nevertheless, the Maori party estimates that only 3% of people in New Zealand can speak Domestics – About 850,000 people out of a population of 5 million – only 20% know their ancestral language. This language is a major obstacle to survival, which has not yet been established as a compulsory subject in schools.

The Maori party has only two representatives in the New Zealand parliament, so the demand for a change of official name for New Zealand has little chance of success. Labor has an absolute majority and Prime Minister Jacinta Artern made it clear on Tuesday that the debate was not on her agenda: “We have not begun the official process of changing the name of New Zealand. At the same time, it encourages me to see people using place names alternately, and I hope this trend will continue to grow.

Although the name Aotearoa is increasingly popular among the people, Artern knows that there is a very high percentage in New Zealand who oppose any attempt to put the use of Maori before the English language. The main opposition Conservative National Party has condemned the government’s increasing use of aboriginal names and called for a referendum to determine what name citizens want for their country.

To those who oppose the adoption of the name Aotearoa, the Mori Party reminds us that New Zealand is not really an English name. The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman “discovered” these islands in the Pacific Ocean in 1642, and shortly thereafter were baptized in New Zealand, referring to the province of Zealand in their home country. Did not set foot in the Tasman Islands, the lands were settled by the British from 1769 and adopted the Dutch name in its English version, New Zealand. When he appeared in the press this Tuesday, Maori party co-chairman Raviri Widiti jokingly questioned the New Zealanders’ link to the name: “New Zealand is a Dutch name. Even the Dutch changed their name from Holland to the Netherlands for God’s sake!

Although the appeal of the Maori party is more symbolic than practical, the leaders of that organization are trying to take advantage of the renewed inspiration that the new generation is giving to the native language. The country celebrated the moment of the Maori language this Tuesday at noon, with more than a million people speaking The Rio Maurice At the same time

At the same time, more and more people claim to use language with their own example. New Zealand singer Lord is promoting his third album Solar power, Has now released a mini album, where he performs five songs on Mori. In his interview with the world media, Lord regretted not being able to study Mary at school: “It has never been an important part of my life, it has always made me feel sad and a little guilty.” With statements like these, Lord not only reflects the growing sentiment among young New Zealanders, but her status as a pop diva is a powerful shield to the Mori language.

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