New Te Reo Maori scholarships

The University of Canterbury will offer up to 300 Te Reo Maori Scholarships totalling about $60,000 to Maori and non-Maori students studying stage one te reo in 2009.

It is the first year the scholarships have been offered by the university in conjunction with the College of Arts and Aotahi: School of Maori and Indigenous Studies.

Associate Prof. Rawiri Taonui, Head of Aotahi: School of Maori Indigenous Studies, said te reo Maori is a taonga under the Treaty of Waitangi and, as such, the university supports the preservation of te reo through teaching, scholarship and advocacy.

“The revitalisation of te reo is directly related to the survival of Maori as a people and the survival of this people as Maori,” he said.

Applications would be automatic upon enrolment in courses with payment of the $250 Te Reo Maori awards depending on successful completion.

Prof. Taonui said the decision to offer such scholarships came from a desire to enhance the university’s commitment to engage with Maori aspirations.

“The scholarships are intended to build on such initiatives to convey an appropriate and strong message to Maori entities and the wider community about the university’s commitment to te reo Maori. The university and school also wish to support the Ngai Tahu initiative Kotahi Mano Kaika that sets a goal of having 1000 tribal homes speaking te reo,” said Prof. Taonui.

“Because it provides for both Maori and non-Maori students the strategy also sends a positive message to the wider community.

“The aim here is to recognise that building a healthy, inclusive and dynamic bi-cultural and multi-cultural future of NZ in part lies in encouraging all NZers to learn and speak te reo.”