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Story: Northland region

Inside a kōhanga reo

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Inside a kōhanga reo

The rate of Māori language retention in the north is second only to that of the East Coast. To ensure that the language is passed on, northern Māori established kōhanga reo (language nests) from the 1980s to teach preschool children. These children were photographed at a kōhanga reo in Whangārei in 2003.

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Northern Advocate

by John Stone

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How to cite this page

Claudia Orange, Northland region – Population, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/7531/inside-a-kohanga-reo (accessed 24 June 2026).

Story by Claudia Orange, published 2 March 2009, updated 1 May 2015.