Maranga Mai!Maranga Mai!

"From the time of the Māori renaissance of the 1970s and 1980s, Māori made huge efforts to reinvigorate te reo and the life of marae as the twin cornerstones of Māori identity. Māori television and radio stations were set up, the Māori Language Commission established and kōhanga reo, kura kaupapa and wānanga emerged. Old marae gained new coats of paint and new marae were established on sites ranging from urban university campuses to rural communities. But have the efforts really worked? Now, in 2013, are te reo and marae in crisis? The number of children in kōhanga reo is down 34 per cent from its peak. Only 15 per cent of Māori children are attending Māori-medium schooling. And fewer and fewer people are participating in marae activities. Without a living language spoken regularly on the marae, what is the future for Māori culture? Focusing on Tai Tokerau, the northern region of New Zealand, as a case study but with conclusions applicable across the country, the leading Māori scholars and elders in Maranga Mai! call for their people to wake up to these challenges. Through stories and statistics, demography and policy, they identify the key issues and pose potential solutions"--Publisher's information.