By Willie Jackson
This week is Maori language week and it's a time for us to not only celebrate the language but also reflect on how well we are keeping it a vibrant part of our nation's cultural identity.
So I was surprised last week when Prime Minister John Key admitted to me in a TV interview that he couldn't count to 20 in Maori.
I thought how embarrassing, given Maori is an official language of this country.
How ironic was it then that only two weeks ago Key was extolling the virtue of learning Mandarin.
In his words: "Youngsters need to understand the language so they can understand the market."
Key stressed: "It's a commercial relationship."
And that really sums it all up doesn't it?
Learning Mandarin is all about business; it's about money, commercial revenue and what it can bring to this country.
On all counts the indigenous language of this country, Maori, comes in a distant second.
However, that shouldn't detract from how important it is for New Zealanders to learn Maori.
While I don't have a problem with Mandarin being taught in our schools I do have a problem with our prime minister who is 49 years old and doesn't have a basic grasp of Maori.
You see if the prime minister hasn't prioritised learning the absolute basics of Maori language, then why should the rest of the country care?
Unfortunately, Key's understanding of Maori, like the majority of Kiwis, is considerably lacking. You only have to tune in to your local radio station or watch mainstream TV for examples of this.
Every day you can listen and watch some of our most high-profile broadcasters mangle and destroy our reo.
Maori language has been misused, mispronounced and disrespected for so many years that it's just not funny.
It's a complete waste of time just to declare Maori an official language and then not follow up with real strategies to ensure its success.
That's why I believe that Maori should be compulsorily taught in schools so that kids, Maori and Pakeha, can grow up in a bilingual Aotearoa.
By making Maori a core subject the survival of the language is more assured.
While governments – Key's included – have over the last few years poured substantial sums into the revitalisation of Maori, for it to survive it will require not only dollars but leadership from the top and a significant change of attitude where leaders don't just see culture in commercial terms but value how culture can strengthen a nation.
Auckland Stuff.co.nz, 3rd August 2010