Tōku reo, tōko ohooho: Māori language petition 50th anniversary exhibition

Exhibition of original Te Petihana te Reo Māori

The first national Māori Language Day, on 14 September 1972, was marked by the presentation of a petition on the steps of Parliament. More than 30,000 people signed, calling for te reo Māori to be taught in schools.

Fifty years on, this exhibition displays the original Te Petihana Te Reo Māori, recording a moment when Māori and non-Māori came together to protect, uplift and honour te reo Māori as a treasure of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Enjoy special footage from Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision’s collection of Te Petihana Reo Māori (the Māori Language Petition).

Tame Iti sculptures

Sculptures from Tame Iti's multi-media installation installation I will not speak Māori feature in the exhibition. These sculptures are from a larger group, installed on Wellington Waterfront from 1 September 2022 to mark Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori. I will not speak Māori weaves together the story of the artist’s life and the historic trip to deliver the Māori language petition to Parliament.

Bring your whānau along to view this taonga.

Hana Jackson and Ngā Tamatoa

The petition was presented by its instigator, 22-year-old Hana Jackson (née Te Hemara) from Te Āti Awa, Ngāti Toa, Ngāti Raukawa and Ngāi Tahu. Jackson was a member of Ngā Tamatoa, an activist group formed after the 1970 Young Māori Leaders’ Conference. Ngā Tamatoa wanted the Treaty of Waitangi ratified, and campaigned for Māori culture and language.

Ngā Tamatoa joined forces with Te Reo Māori Society – formed at Victoria University of Wellington in 1969 to combat the threat to te reo Māori posed by the declining number of native speakers. Te Huinga Rangatahi, the New Zealand Māori Students’ Association, worked with Ngā Tamatoa and Te Reo Māori Society to gather petition signatures from early 1972.

Presentation day

On the presentation day, the group was led by Ngāti Toa kaumātua Te Ōuenuku Rene, who performed the ‘tuku taonga’ over the petition using a patu parāoa. Although National were in power at that time, Jackson presented the petition to Matiu Rata, the MP for Northern Māori, who tabled it in Parliament. Ngā Tamatoa member Rawiri Paratene (then known as David Broughton) and Presbyterian Minister Hemi Potatau (patron of Te Reo Māori Society) were among those who spoke after the petition was presented.

Building a better country

Although supported by elders, the petition was driven by Māori youth, who, as Jackson told reporters, were trying to build a better country. She also pointed out that the majority of signatures to the petition were Pākehā.

According to historian Aroha Harris, the 1972 petition broke the first ground for the revitalisation of te reo Māori. It prompted the government to introduce the teaching of Māori in primary and secondary schools (largely as an optional extra), and establish a one-year training course for native speakers to address the shortfall in qualified staff.

In the wake of the petition Māori continued to press for official support for the language, as well as developing their own initiatives. These included kōhanga reo, kura kaupapa Māori, iwi radio stations and Māori television. Te reo Māori was made an official language of Aotearoa New Zealand in 1987.

Māori language petition, 1972 — New Zealand History article includes community contibutions from Te Reo Māori Society members and people involved in the petition.

Te Petihana Reo Māori 50th anniversary events

There are a number of events to celebrate this signicant anniversary including a National event at Parliament and other re Māori events.

National commemoration at Parliament

Te Whare o te Reo Mauriora (including Te Mātāwai and Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori) is leading the national commemoration of this significant anniversary with a public event at Parliament on 14 September from 11am to 1pm.

You can register via the Facebook event page and there will be a Whakaata Māori livestream.

National commemorative event at Parliament
Facebook page — National commemorative event at Parliament
Whakaata Māori livestream

Reo Māori events

As well as the public event at Parliament, there are a range of reo Māori activities being organised offering all New Zealanders the opportunity to reflect on the journey of te reo and its speakers.

Reo Māori events

Te hui ahurei reo Māori o Te Whanganui-a-Tara he Māori Language Festival of Wellington — A partnership between Wellington City Council, Taranaki Whānui and Ngāti Toa Rangatira.

I will not speak Māori — a multi-platform, multi-media installation.

Te Petihana Reo Māori 50th anniversary in the media

Te Petihana Reo Māori celebrates milestone with Wellington exhibition — Stuff, 14 September 2022
Parliament event to honour the Māori language champions, 50 years on — NZ Herald, 2 September 2022
Remembering Hana Te Hemara’s Māori language petition, 50 years on Spin Off. 29 August 2022
Festival to mark 50th anniversary of Maori language petition — RNZ, 13 August 2022
Te Petihana Reo Māori — RNZ, 7 June 2022
50th anniversary of the Māori language petition — Ministry of Culture and Heritage

This exhibition is part of Te Petihana Reo Māori 50th Anniversary events.