Watch the video above for the full report from The Hui.
This week marks 30 years since Te Reo Māori became an official language of Aotearoa.
The battle to enhance the status of Te Reo was partly motivated by a desire to save the next generation of reo from the pain, shame and sense of inadequacy that comes with not being able to communicate in your mother tongue.
That struggle is bearing fruit, in the form of a new generation of reo speakers.
The Hui reporter Raiha Paki went back to her old kura kaupapa Māori school in Hamilton, Tōku Māpihi Maurea, to have a conversation with the newest generation of first-language speakers. She asked four sets of siblings about what it means to grow up immersed in the Māori language.
When asked what language they prefer, most said te reo Māori - stating that it's easier to speak.
Reiata Huata told Three's, The Hui, "Nō Aotearoa nei te reo Māori, ēhara nō iwi kē" - the Māori language is from Aotearoa, nowhere else.
Along with the language, they are also learning traditional Māori values.
When asked what 'manaakitanga' means, Oraukurawairua Pakaurangi said that 'manaakingtanga' means looking after the vulnerable by, "Mā te hoatu ētahi rawa, ētahi kākahu mahana me ētahi kai" - giving them things like warm clothes and food.
The Hui
