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This year marks a significant milestone for Aotearoa and for Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) - the 50th anniversary of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori | Māori Language Week. First celebrated in 1975, this annual event grew out of the 1972 Māori language petition, when thousands of signatures were presented to Parliament calling for the recognition and revitalisation of te reo Māori. Today, the week continues to honour that kaupapa, with celebrations across the motu.
The 50-year celebration brings an opportunity for NMIT to reflect on its own reo journey, one that mirrors the national story of revival, resilience, and renewal.
In the 1970s and 80s, kaumātua and whānau in Te Tauihu (Top of the South Island) stepped forward to preserve the language at a time when very few speakers remained. Early teaching often relied on voluntary labour and minimal resources. One kaiako (teacher) said “it was either me or nobody.”
At NMIT, the first reo classes were not an institutional creation but a gift from iwi, carefully guarded and protected. As kaumātua Jane du Feu puts it, the message from iwi was “If you don’t look after it, we’ll take it back.”
Te Tohu Mōhiotanga was the first accredited te reo Māori qualification in Aotearoa. Originally developed at Taranaki Polytechnic (now WITT), the programme was gifted to Taranaki Whānui ki Te Tau Ihu - Māori from Taranaki who had settled in the top of the South - who sought a formal reo qualification. They adapted it to reflect the local context before passing it on to NMIT.
Over the decades, Mātauranga Māori at NMIT has grown through cycles of struggle and renewal.
The establishment of Te Toki Pakohe, a dedicated building at the centre of mātauranga Māori at NMIT’s Nelson campus, was named for the pakohe stone(external link) prized by local iwi and gave the kaupapa a home and identity rooted in the whenua.
As Pouako Reo Māori (Te Reo Māori teacher) Keri Takao reflected, Te Toki Pakohe represents not just an institution, but a transformation, like the toki (adze) made from pakohe. Learners move from unshaped stone to polished tool of strength, carrying forward the mana of their people.
“There is always demand for reo classes, but we must protect the integrity of what we do. Growth should never come at the cost of safety, mana, or whanaungatanga.”
The history of Mātauranga Māori at NMIT reflects broader themes in te reo revitalisation. Language loss and revival grew out of scarcity but was sustained by iwi commitment. Collective labour from kaumātua, whānau, and community members carried the kaupapa forward, often without recognition or adequate resources. Today’s ākonga benefit from these earlier struggles.
Today, Mātauranga Māori is an integral part of NMIT’s programme offering and culture. With 520 learners enrolled in Māori programmes in 2025 across the whole district, demand is strong, aligning with the revitalisation of kaupapa Māori in Te Tauihu. The future of Mātauranga Māori at NMIT lies in continuing to uphold iwi partnership, creating safe spaces for all learners, and ensuring the language thrives for generations to come.
Rolland Simmonds, Pouako Reo Māori (Te Reo Māori teacher) at NMIT expressed his thanks to those who worked hard for the language to prosper.
“Mei kore ake te hunga porotēhi atu ki te kāwana tēnei kaupapa e matomato nei. I te rangi kotahi, i te tau whitu tekau mā rua, ki te wiki kotahi, i te tau whitu tekau mā whā e whakanui ana tātou i tō tātou huia kaimanawa ka tika, nā tēnā kua waimarie tātou ki ngā hua o tā rātou whakapeto ngoi, e Tino Rangatiratangatia ana te reo hei reo ora
Kua waimarie hoki tātou ki ngā wāhi pēnei i a NMIT e tautoko ana i te hunga e ako ana i te reo, i te hunga e ako ana i tōna ake reo. Ahakoa he iti he pakohe, he toki pakohe, kōrerohia te reo ahakoa āu kupu torutoru, he mea tuku iho nā ngā tūpuna. “Mā te kōrero, ka ora te reo”
“We are so fortunate for those that petitioned the Government for this kaupapa to flourish. Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori grew from a ‘Māori Language Day’ in 1972, to an official ‘Māori Language Week’ in 1974. We have now been celebrating our treasured language (in this initiative) for fifty years, thanks to those who worked so diligently for our language to grow and prosper.
We are also grateful for places like NMIT that support those studying te Reo Māori. Even though you may not have much te Reo Māori, it’s a treasure. Speak what you can so the language of our ancestors can live on. Through speaking, the language will thrive.”
To celebrate this year’s milestone, NMIT is hosting a range of activities on its Nelson and Marlborough campuses for its ākonga (learners) and kaimahi (staff).
This includes the planting of a native tree to begin the celebrations, waiata performance and mahi toi (artworks) display in the library, a celebratory lunch, poi workshop, and a hikoi hitori (history walk) sharing the history of te reo in Te Tauihu.
He taonga te reo — kia kaha te reo Māori.
