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New Zealand name change to Aotearoa required

New Zealand name change to Aotearoa required

New Zealand's Maori Party has launched a petition to change the country's official name to Aotearoa.

The petition also calls on the House of Representatives to restore Maori names to all cities and country names.

"It has been a long time since Te Reo Maori was restored to its rightful place as the first official language of this country. We are a Polynesian country - we are Aotearoa, " the statement said , calling for the reappointment process to be completed. until 2026

The Maori Party statement said that the number of people fluent in the local language fell from 90% in 1910 to 26% in 1950. “In just 40 years, the Crown has succeeded in removing our language and we are still feeling the impact of of this action ", it is written in the statement. Today, in New Zealand, according to the Maori Party, only 3% of people speak the language of the indigenous population. So far, the petition has received over 12 thousand signatures.

There has not yet been a statement from New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern regarding the petition, but it has been opposed by ACT party leader David Seymour.

Tiranapost.al