Is te reo Māori globally hot but locally not?

The recognition of "kaitiakitanga" as the world's most beautiful word has sparked renewed calls to better value te reo Māori at home.

Te reo Māori advocates say the recognition of 'kaitiakitanga' as the world's most beautiful word should send a clear message that te reo Māori is valued beyond the borders of Aotearoa.

The judges said the kupu stood out because it expressed a complex concept with no direct equivalent in many other languages, while speaking to the importance of environmental stewardship for future generations.

Dr Vincent Olsen-Reeder (Tauranga Moana, Te Arawa) said the recognition is more than symbolic.

"I think it should send a strong message to the current government that what they're doing isn't anywhere in line with what New Zealanders want out of language," he told RNZ.

"We've now got the international backing of globally recognised experts on language, but also companies like Babbel saying this language matters."

The trained sociolinguist, grammarian and managing director of ReoPol was particularly moved because 'kaitiakitanga' was picked by a panel of language experts, topping a list of 223 words from 75 different languages.

"I was quite touched by the fact that real experts in language had gone through and vetted all these words and came up with a philosophy they think is really important with language - talking about the communal beauty in language and the societal impact it can make.

"It's a lot more than just a word that they felt like they would tokenistically swoon over."

Olsen-Reedeer said the recognition was something the entire te reo Māori community could celebrate after several difficult years for the language.

"I just think it's such a great thing for us to be able to celebrate as a language community, especially given the few years that we've had with [the] language. Honestly really cool."

Kaitiakitanga - more than just a word

While the kupu kaitiakitanga is often described as the responsibility to guard, protect and care for the taiao (natural world) and its inhabitants, it represents much more.

Te Mātāwai co-chair Mātai Smith (Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri, Ngāti Kahungunu) said kaitiakitanga reflects a Māori ethos.

"It reminds us that we're not separate from the world around us... but we're part of it. And it speaks to our responsibility to care for our people, obviously te taiao, our environment."

Te Mātāwai is an independent authority established to support the revitalisation of te reo Māori within Māori communities.

Smith said any Māori word being recognised internationally would have been significant for language revitalisation and normalisation.

"If you go on to Te Aka dictionary and look it up, it's got stewardship, guardianship, et cetera, et cetera. But again, I'm thinking of the Māori ethos and the Māori worldview, it's a lot more. It's not just a word, there's more layers to it."

While optimistic about the future of te reo Māori, Smith acknowledged the language was not welcomed everywhere in Aotearoa, likening the recognition to the way kapa haka is celebrated internationally as something uniquely New Zealand.

"It's only one word, but it's our language, it's our identity, it's what makes us unique here in Aotearoa.

"... It's more than recognition of a single kupu, it's the recognition of the beauty, the richness, and the mana of our reo."

As a father, Olsen-Reeder said the word kaitiakitanga carries great significance in many different ways.

"When I think about kaitiakitanga, I think about responsibility and accountability first and foremost," he said.

He described it as the daily act of living up to that responsibility, using his pēpi as an example.

"I understand my accountability to the way that my baby will turn out one day.

"When you're the kaitiaki of something, it's more than just making sure they do their reading and writing every day. It's understanding that every action you take in front of them matters."

The announcement comes amid ongoing criticism of the coalition government's approach to te reo Māori, including changes to language use across the public sector.

In May, the Government moved to prioritise English over te reo Māori in its official branding which Olsen-Reedy said sent a "damaging message" about the status of te reo in Aotearoa and risks undermining ongoing reo revitalisation efforts.

The rebrand, which placed 'New Zealand Government' in bold above 'Te Kāwanatanga o Aotearoa', was one of a series of name changes agreed to by the coalition, including changes to Transport New Zealand, Waka Kotahi, Health New Zealand, Te Whatu Ora and changes to the New Zealand passport.

Olsen-Reeder said the international recognition highlighted opportunities that could be lost if support for the language continued to weaken.

"The best thing that government could do is recognise that it's currently in our way. We can't access all of those wonderful places, spaces, industries and people because we've got the government cutting us out."

He encouraged New Zealanders to embrace te reo Māori in their everyday lives.

"I think the thing we could do... is start to really understand how wonderful all of our languages are and start to actively celebrate them.

"We're doing a lot of fighting and it's very ragey and angsty at the moment, but actually we could just love on te reo Māori a bit more, have fun in te reo Māori a bit more, go and do something cool on an app with te reo Māori, jump into any of the apps that are celebrating the language by promoting it, using it more, and really, truly bringing the language into our lives in really positive ways."

Revitalisation of Māori language

In a statement, Minister for Māori Development Tama Potaka welcomed the recognition of the word 'kaitiakitanga'.

"Te Reo Māori is a taonga for all New Zealanders and part of the DNA of New Zealand. Recognition like this, on a global stage, reaffirms its significance as a treasure and underlines its place in the identities, stories, histories - and the future - of our country."

He said kaitiakitanga "epitomises taking action for nature, people, and culture".

Potaka said the government remained committed to supporting the growth and revitalisation of te reo Māori, pointing to a boost of funding for Te Matatini, Māori media, Kōhanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa Māori and Māori-medium education.

He also said the characterisation that the government was removing te reo Māori from government branding was "incorrect", saying the coalition's branding changes involved displaying English first for many agencies while Māori names remained.

Potaka said the Māori language and culture are foundational to the wellbeing and identity of whānau, hapū and iwi.

"I have set a clear vision for sustained, targeted investment so that Māori language is increasingly spoken, Māori culture is visible and celebrated, and Mātauranga Māori and its expression is recognised and developed."