On September 8, Tariana Turia (Associate Minister of Maori Affairs), released a literacy report entitled “Te Kawai Ora: Reading the Word, Reading the World, Being the World.” The report focuses on the importance of bi-literacy; reasoning that indigenous language must survive to preserve the culture, and that English must also be learned in to enjoy the full rights of citizenship. Turia adds that bi-literacy is essential to the successful resolution of issues like foreshore and seabed rights.
