From New Zealand to Ayodhya: Maori demand restoration of country’s native name | International

Every day, Prime Minister New Zealand, Jacintha Artern appeared to report on the fight against the press on Monday Delta variant of Govit-19. His speech was not only in English, he also spoke a few sentences in Mோori, the other official language of the Orthodox nation. 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 where they join in the celebration of De Rio Maori Week, the native language of New Zealand. It is no coincidence that the country’s Maori party chose this week to launch a petition to change the country’s official name from New Zealand to its Maori name, Aotearoa, which translates to the country of the long white cloud.

Raviri Vaiditi, co-chairman of the organization, who has a traditional native tattoo on his face, appeared before the press this Tuesday to announce his party’s controversial decision: “The time for that has come. te reo Maori Restore its proper place as the primary and official language in this country. We are a Polynesian country, we are Ayodhya ”. The petition also demands that in a process ending in 2026, all cities and towns in the country should adopt their Mori place name.

El de Rio Maori After World War II, it saw a steady decline since the authorities actively promoted its public use and thereby integrated the language of the British colonialists. This official trend began to reverse in 1987, when Maori was recognized as the official language of New Zealand in an attempt to revive an endangered language. However, the Maori party estimates that only 3% can speak in New Zealand. Tribess – about 850,000 out of a total population of 5 million – only 20% know their ancestral language. The main obstacle to the life of this language is that it has not yet been established as a compulsory subject in schools.

The Maori party has only two representatives in the New Zealand parliament, so its demand for a change to the official name of New Zealand is unlikely to win. Labor has an absolute majority and Prime Minister Jacinta Artern made it clear on Tuesday that the debate was not on her agenda: “We do not plan to launch an official process to change the name of New Zealand. At the same time, it encourages me to see people using alternate names, and I hope this trend continues. “

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 excessive use of aboriginal names and called for a referendum to determine which name citizens want for their country.

To those who oppose the adoption of the name Aotearoa, the Maori Party reminds us that New Zealand is not really an English name. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman “discovered” these islands in the Pacific Ocean in 1642, shortly after being baptized in New Zealand, referring to the native province of Zeeland. Tasman never set foot on the islands, and the English colonized the land from 1769 and adopted the Dutch name in its English version, New Zealand. Appearing in front of reporters on Tuesday, Maori party co-chairman Raviri Waititi questioned the New Zealanders’ humorous use of the name: “New Zealand is a Dutch name. Even the Dutch changed their name from Holland to Netherlands for God’s sake!

Though the demand of the Maori party is more symbolic than practical, the leaders of the creation are trying to take advantage of the renewed inspiration that the new generation is giving to the native language. More than a million people in the country celebrated the Maori language moment this Tuesday at noon. te reo Maori 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, A mini album he performed five songs in Maori. In his interviews with the world media, Lord lamented that he could not learn Maori at school: “It has never been a major part of my life, and it has always made me feel sad and guilty.” With statements like these, Lord not only reflects the growing sentiment among young New Zealanders, but his status as Bob Diva is a powerful catapult to the Maori language.

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