Language rights -the Maori tribe

ARTICLE 14 AND 15 OF THE 1993 DRAFT DECLARATION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE.

ARTICLE 14
Indigenous people have the right to revitalize, use and develop their histories, languages, oral traditions, philosophies, writing systems and literatures and to designate and retain their own names for communities plans and persons.

ARTICLE 15
All indigenous people ……….have ………….. the right to establish and control their educational systems and institutions providing education in their own languages in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning.

For example: The indigenous tribes in New Zealand. Smooth colonization process where rights were given to them to retain their identity the Maori. But the treaty which guaranteed them this was deceptive.

1- English for sovereignty – ruling
2- Maori for Governorship – administration

Maori tribe possessed land, the European people were called the Pakeha. The treaty was in two languages , when the y found that the treaty had loopholes the Maori tried to learn Pakeha language. But the Pakeha educationally imposed English.

In 1840 the number of Maori declined for example in 1900 there were 77,000, in the late 20th century only 45,000 were left. Little access to facilities, education, health, low paid job. Colonized for 1000 years. A small group of young Maori people have tried to revive the Maori language through educational programs.