Post by Kiwi Frontline on Jun 18, 2019 6:01:50 GMT 12
Northland Age 18/6/19
TE REO TAKEOVER
I was born in New Zealand. and as such am a New Zealander.
Originally the country was known as New Zealand. Then it became Aotearoa New Zealand. Now it is often just Aotearoa.
The weather report on night television concluded, "That is the weather forecast for Aotearoa." Our tourism industry is labelled Tourism Aotearoa. Not New Zealand.
Government departments now have Maori names. Why? To appease 15 per cent of the population?
Signage is in te reo in government departments and other state institutions, and takes precedence over English.
So a language spoken by 3 per cent of the population in New Zealand is being preferred to a language that is spoken by 20 per cent of the world's population, to whom official signage in Maori is as incomprehensible as it is to most New Zealanders.
I am still a New Zealander, but henceforth, by the insidious infiltration of te reo, with the tacit acceptance of government and the media, I may find myself being internationally known as an Aotearoan.
Is over $500m a year to promote te reo not enough to satisfy an avaricious bunch of ethnic elitists? Wake up New Zealand! The writing's on the wall, and it's in te reo.
BRYAN JOHNSON, Omokoroa
sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/letters-submitted-to-newspapers
TE REO TAKEOVER
I was born in New Zealand. and as such am a New Zealander.
Originally the country was known as New Zealand. Then it became Aotearoa New Zealand. Now it is often just Aotearoa.
The weather report on night television concluded, "That is the weather forecast for Aotearoa." Our tourism industry is labelled Tourism Aotearoa. Not New Zealand.
Government departments now have Maori names. Why? To appease 15 per cent of the population?
Signage is in te reo in government departments and other state institutions, and takes precedence over English.
So a language spoken by 3 per cent of the population in New Zealand is being preferred to a language that is spoken by 20 per cent of the world's population, to whom official signage in Maori is as incomprehensible as it is to most New Zealanders.
I am still a New Zealander, but henceforth, by the insidious infiltration of te reo, with the tacit acceptance of government and the media, I may find myself being internationally known as an Aotearoan.
Is over $500m a year to promote te reo not enough to satisfy an avaricious bunch of ethnic elitists? Wake up New Zealand! The writing's on the wall, and it's in te reo.
BRYAN JOHNSON, Omokoroa
sites.google.com/site/kiwifrontline/letters-submitted-to-newspapers