Rise of the kōhanga generation

Nau mai, haere mai

In the lead up to the 2023 election, 21-year-old Hana Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke told an audience they should embrace the new generation of Māori political leaders: “Don’t be scared, because the kōhanga reo generation are here, and we have a huge movement and a huge wave of us coming through.”

Maipi-Clarke was not wrong. She is the youngest of a new cohort of Māori leadership, one which benefited from the te reo Māori revitalisation movement. After decades of language decline, the movement sought to rescue te reo Māori from the brink of extinction.

Founded in 1982, kōhanga reo preschools offered a way for the Māori community to pass the language on to younger generations. Over time, language immersion options have extended into primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education.

As Annie Te One argues, the benefits of kōhanga reo have not been limited to language acquisition. Māori language and culture have increasingly become part of the mainstream in New Zealand.

But it’s not all sunshine and roses. Maipi-Clarke herself was targeted in what te Pāti Māori described as an “anti-Māori” attack on her home. Other young Māori politicians have described racist rhetoric on the campaign trail.

It will be interesting to see how this new generation of Māori leaders work within the parliamentary system to foster change for their electorate and wider community.

There is more to read here and on our homepage, including a look at the impact our constant connectivity is having on the eight-hour work day, and whether the law should contain a “right to disconnect” from work.

Until next time, mā te wā

Debrin Foxcroft

Deputy New Zealand Editor

Who are the ‘kōhanga reo generation’ and how could they change Māori and mainstream politics?

Annie Te One, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

A new generation of Māori politicians is rising. Young and self-assured, they are the children of a movement that began 40 years ago.

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