Time out! Talk to us! – Māori Language Commissioner
The Māori Language Commissioner Professor Rawinia Higgins says anyone with a problem about netball players speaking Māori shouldn’t take it out on the players.
“I was disappointed to hear that players from the Māori language school Te Wharekura o Mauao had been criticised for speaking Māori, particularly these days when there has been a concerted effort to support te reo.
“It is disappointing that there is an undercurrent of negativity towards the language, to direct this at young people is even worse.”
“If people have problems with the use of te reo Māori they should direct them to the Māori Language Commission.
“Meanwhile, if opposing teams feel disadvantaged as a result of monolingualism, here are some links to common te reo Māori netball terms: