Parents raising their tamariki in Te Reo Māori need more support, a Māori researcher says.
Photo: RNZ / Tom Furley
Kahurangi Maxwell has looked at issues faced by Maori-speaking parents who choose to raise their children in Te Reo Maori as part of her masters research.
Ms Maxwell said that kaupapa was prompted by negative feedback she received about raising her daughter in Te Reo.
She said there was a lot research on encouraging parents to raise their children in Te Reo but not great deal on parents who are doing it.
"Where are the stories for those parents who are actually doing that, where does that exist?
"I couldn't find any so what I discovered is that there needs to be much more support both nationally as well as within whanau to ensure that the journey is successful."
Ms Maxwell also found that a parent's background and journey with Te Reo was a major influence on deciding to raise their own tamariki with the language.