Te Puutaatara
Te Puutaatara is a weekly three-hour talk-back programme in English, with host Jim Perry.
Cellphones and internet key to te reo survival
Tuesday 2 March 2010
The Executive Officer of Nga Aho Whakaari says internet and cellphone television technologies are the new frontier for keeping the Maori language alive.
Pita Turei says with the spectrum licences up for auction as the country switches to digital television by 2013, Maori don't stand a chance against telecommunication giants like Telecom and Vodafone when it comes to bidding.
He says internet and cellphone television are the new televisions of the future, and respect must be made to Privy Council and Waitangi Tribunal rulings that Maori are obligated to a significant slice of the spectrum.
"This is to be regarded as a taonga because it is a mechanism that we need to keep our language and our culture alive in the modern world.
Mr Turei also says it's the only way to communicate with the generation of Maori who are becoming increasingly influenced by new technologies.
He says if young Maori are going to be bombarded with information through these mediums in English, then it's only fair that they have the same access to information in their own language.
With the digitisation set to be complete in three years time, Pita Turei says kaumatua need to be well informed that when this happens their analogue televisions won't work anymore.
"An educated iwi is an empowered iwi, an empowered iwi is a comfortable iwi. A comfortable iwi is a confident iwi"
Jim Perry (Ngati Porou) endeavours to assist with education for us all. Te Puutaatara, signalling it's time for te iwi Maori to become empowered, it encapsulates the major issues of the day and how they affect Maori.
Our veteran broadcaster has been on Maori radio for over fifteen years, with a background in mainstream and kura kaupapa education.
Contact
Producer: Huk Jackson
09 275 9070 | 0800 4 603 603
huk@waatea603am.co.nz