A review of research on the attitudes of non-Maori New Zealanders towards the Maori language

2010 marked ten years of the New Zealand government monitoring the attitudes of New Zealanders, both Māori and non-Māori, towards the Māori language. Academic researchers have been undertaking similar research for a much longer period. This article reviews the main findings of research on attitudes towards the Māori language among non-Māori in particular since the 1980s, and considers to what extent recent government surveys show evidence of change in the attitudes of New Zealand’s non-indigenous population towards the country’s indigenous language. The article concludes that work undertaken to date provides us with many insights into attitudes towards the Māori language, but further research is required to determine whether and how such attitudes are changing.