The emotional landscape of reo Māori learning in Ōtautahi

Abstract

In 1972, the Māori Language Petition was delivered to the Parliament steps of Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ), kickstarting a movement to revitalise the Indigenous language, te reo Māori, after generations of violent suffocation under British colonialism. The language revitalisation movement is a prominent frontier of Māori resistance and continues fiercely into the present with macro-strategies for the renormalisation of te reo within wider Aotearoa NZ society, and targeted micro-strategies for the reestablishment of intergenerational transmission of te reo in Māori homes and communities. Demand for Māori language learning is reaching unprecedented levels and, though exciting and promising for the future of te reo and the wellbeing of Māori peoples, there are still growing pains that must be navigated with care as the nation moves forward towards bilingualism. This thesis is a collaborative exploration of the emotional learning experiences of six second-language adult learners of te reo Māori based in Ōtautahi Christchurch. Rooted in Kaupapa Māori theory, Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles and decolonial solidarities, this study adopts a bricolage approach to research. Through biographical interviews, autophotographic projects, photo elicitation interviews, and the construction of photo-poetry as an analytic tool, it becomes apparent that learning te reo Māori opens portals for learners to understand themselves in a way that is reminiscent of the creation of the Māori world—mai i te kore, ki te pō, ki te ao mārama.