"And to see these non-Maori, the pakeha, hearing that beautiful language rolling off their tongue and the vulnerability in that - it makes me very proud," says Rika. And while some listeners have questioned whether Lorde's use of the language is appropriation, others have pointed out that during this week, everyone is encouraged to speak te reo, regardless of heritage. Lorde's album in te reo arrived just ahead of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, or Maori Language Week. And now Lorde wants to come and embrace this shift in the tide." "There's been a shift, a change in the tide here in Aotearoa," Rika says, "And so many artists, Maori and non-Maori, have wanted to be a part of this movement. Rika, by contrast, was brought up in immersive te reo schools as part of a movement called "Kōhanga Reo," or "Language Nests." She sings in te reo to this day. Her parents and grandparents were ridiculed, and at times beaten, for speaking the language. Maisey Rika, a Maori singer-songwriter, thinks the translated songs are a promising sign that the tide really may be changing when it comes to use of te reo Maori. "It's sort of interpreting who we idolize and look up to, and I think that was more the interpretation of Hinemoana being the maiden of the ocean, and all the sort of metaphorical thinking that comes from that.And so that is a Maori perspective on what supports our ideologies and things we prioritize and see as an important part of our lives." "Obviously Jesus didn't factor in the translation," says Mohi. A line like, "I'm kind of like a prettier Jesus," becomes, "Taku rite, ko Hinemoana," meaning, "I'm like Hinemoana, the Ocean Maiden." The songs are not exact translations, but attempt to emulate the meaning behind each line while maintaining the cadence. She also worked with Lorde to translate five songs off of her latest album into te reo, called Te Ao Mārama. Earlier this year, Mohi was given one of the highest honors in New Zealand, an Order of Merit, for her services to Māori, music and television. Meanwhile, Mohi has continued to uplift the language throughout her life - including recording an album of songs in te reo in 2019 with Maori and non-Maori artists alike called Waiata / Anthems, to mark the 20 year anniversary since her game-changing performance.Īnd her work is being recognized nationally. Today, the anthem is sung in two parts - first in te reo Maori, and then in English. That reclamation, she says, is happening now. "So you can lose a language in a generation, but it takes another three generations to reclaim it." says Mohi. Over time, the number of fluent speakers among the Maori declined to fewer than 20% by 1980. The energy surrounding the Maori Language Revival was in sharp relief to the New Zealand of the early 1900s, during which time te reo Maori was discouraged in schools and English was taught as the dominant language, in accordance with the Native Schools Acts of 1867. It also brought attention to the ongoing Maori Language Revival, which was fighting to teach te reo Maori in schools and increase fluency across the country. Mohi said she had intended the rendition as a celebration of her culture, but it began something much larger: a national dialogue about New Zealand's history of colonization and how it continues to harm current Indigenous inhabitants and their language.
And there were a lot of people who couldn't sing along, and really took offense." "I wasn't actually sure of the English words," she said over Zoom, "so I decided I would represent Aotearoa the best way I could, by singing it in Maori.
She had just released her debut album Oceania in te reo Maori - her native language - and when she was asked to sing at the Rugby World Cup, she decided it made sense for her to do the same. That movement gained traction when singer Hinewehi Mohi shocked audiences at the 1999 Rugby World Cup with her rendition of New Zealand's National Anthem.
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