Ah, Māori Language Week, that time of the year when corporate giants dust off their faux-cultural sensitivity and engage in the shameless game of linguistic Monopoly. It’s almost heartwarming to see these mega-corporations roll the dice to determine which Māori word they’ll incorporate into their branding next. Will it be ‘whānau’ for that warm and fuzzy family-friendly image, or perhaps ‘kai’ to give their overpriced organic snacks an air of authenticity?
It’s all just part of their elaborate marketing strategy, where they collect cultural tokens and properties, hoping to win the game of public perception. But don’t worry, while THEY rake in the profit, the true winners of this linguistic board game are the Māori language and culture, being trotted out like little Monopoly pieces for the corporate elite to play with. Just remember, e hoa mā, when it comes to Māori Language Week, you can't pass go, and you most certainly won't collect $200 - unless, of course, you're a multinational corporation with a monopoly on cultural appropriation.
But as the algorithm feeds us the same “5 ways you can speak Māori this week” bullshit, we may actually be hindering progress, not furthering it. Don’t get me wrong, the exposure is great, but it’s starting to feel pretty bland. In short: shit’s just boring. We need to elevate, not tokenise. Please, I cannot stress this enough: I don’t want another ten words to use in the workplace.
Speaking of large corporations on the cutting edge of terrible timing and questionable decisions, the University has decided to unveil a new rebrand (more like ‘reo-brand’, ha) just as the Māori Language is gaining momentum and recognition. And while it’s great to see this recognition, and while I can only assume it’s a genuine effort to elevate and not tokenise, I’ve still got a bone to pick with this.
The overarching raru here is that the poorly executed timing coincides with the announcement of major budgeting woes, meaning Māori advocacy is getting torn to shit and copping the blame for being “expensive”. I mean, it’s as if they thought, “Hey, let’s overshadow an entire culture’s efforts to preserve their heritage by choosing the worst possible timing.” Congratulations, University of Otago, for reminding us that some institutions are truly timeless in their näivité. Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka goes hard - I just think the timing might undermine some of our people’s hard work and allow your efforts to feel as if they’re token values, not tāngata whenua values. And nobody wants that.
So let’s platform some changes. For instance, in this issue, we’re not just doing guides on your everyday basics of the reo; every article is not just about te ao Māori alone, but specifically about an investigation into the way kupu Māori have influenced several corners of society: from controversial pronouns, to the LEGO company, and even to figuring out who the hell ‘Ngāti Pākehā’ is named after. Because it's Māori Language Week, not just Māori Week.
On Māori land, every week is Māori week. Don’t you forget it.
Ka keetz
Sky xxxxx