Abstract
Te reo Māori (the Māori language) became an official language in Aotearoa New Zealand in 1987. Even so, the number of people who could speak te reo declined steadily throughout the early 2000s. In the early 2020s, however, there was a surge in interest in te reo from both Māori and Pākehā (white New Zealanders of European descent). This chapter details how a range of initiatives and media-based approaches featuring a combination of traditional and digital, online media operate as a "media ensemble" to support Māori language and cultural revitalisation. Digital tools that feature or teach te reo, including websites and mobile apps, are central to this revitalisation. Supporters of these tools argue that they are ideal for preserving and promoting Māori language and culture. Critics, however, argue that they separate Māori language and culture from colonial English-speaking Pākehā culture in New Zealand. These digital tools are supplemented by the "mainstreaming" of te reo Māori on traditional media such as television and radio. Although this mainstreaming of te reo has resulted in backlash from a vocal minority, it provides more opportunities to hear te reo, stimulating further commitment to the language and, crucially, reasserting the importance of Māori culture.