An Act to declare the Maori language to be an official language of New Zealand, to confer the right to speak Maori in certain legal proceedings, and to establish Te Taura Whiri I Te Reo Maori and define its functions and powers.[1]
The Maori Language Act 1987 was a piece of legislation passed by the Parliament of New Zealand.[2] It gave Te Reo Māori (the Māori language) official language status, and gave speakers a right to use it in legal settings such as in court. It also established the Māori Language Commission, initially called Te Komihana Mo Te Reo Maori, to promote the language and provide advice on it.
1991 Amendment
The Act was amended in 1991 and legislated the Māori Language Commission's name change to Te Taura Whiri I Te Reo Māori.[3] As well as renaming the Māori Language Commission, the 1991 Amendment slightly expanded the range of legal settings in which Te Reo could be used, to include bodies such as the Tenancy Tribunal and any Commission of Inquiry.
Use of Macrons in the Act
The use of macrons to indicate the long vowel in New Zealand Government legislation is inconsistent, with this Act being one example of non-macron use. A version of the legislation which includes macrons, however, is offered by the Commission.[4]
Context
The Act was the result of many years of campaigning by Māori, particularly those involved in the Māori protest movement. It was also the result of shifts in thinking about the Treaty of Waitangi. By the mid-1980s, the Treaty had acquired increased relevance thanks primarily to the Waitangi Tribunal. The Act also drew on a number of international precedents, primarily the IrishBord Na Gaeilge Act 1978, which is cited several times in the legislation but also the United Kingdom's Welsh Language Act 1967, which enabled the use of the Welsh languageinWelsh court proceedings.
Despite the Act, Māori does not have the same status under law as English. For example, tax records must be kept in English unless the Commissioner of Internal Revenue agrees otherwise.[5]
References
^Long title amended on 20 June 1991, by section 2(2) of the Maori Language Amendment Act 1991 (1991 No 40).
