E manawa reka ana a Whakaata Māori i te pūtea āpiti $3.5 miriona i whakapuakitia i te Tahua 2020 a te kāwanatanga hei tautoko i te Rāngai Pāpāho Māori hei tuku i ngā karere inamata. 

"Mā te pūtea tautoko nei e āhei ai a Whakaata Maori me ngā Reo Irirangi ā-Iwi te whakawhanake tonu i ngā mahi hiranga kua mahia i ngā wiki tata nei," te kī a Shane Taurima te Tāhuhu Rangapū o Whakaata Māori.

"Kua mahi tata mātau ki ngā Reo Irirangi ā-Iwi hei whakamōhio ki ngā hapori ngā taipitopito me ngā karere inamata e whai pānga ana ki te Covid-19."

"Ko ā mātau pāhotanga Covid-19 i toro atu ki ngā tāngata e toru miriona hemihemi i ā mātau pae pāho katoa. Ko tā mātau he whai tonu i ēnei whakatutukitanga o te wā pākati kia nui atu te pāhotia o ngā kuapapa Māori," te kī a Taurima. 

"Me mihi hoki te ārahi a Minita Mahuta i te whakahoutanga o te Rāngai Pāpāho Māori, me te tautoko a te kāwanatanga i te whāinga kia waihangatia tētahi hapori pāpāho Māori mahi ngātahi hei whakatairanga, hei whakatauira hoki i te whakamahitanga o te reo me ngā tikanga Māori, hei whakatairanga i te ao Māori, hei kōrero hoki i ngā kōrero Māori mā te tirohanga Māori," te kī a Taurima.   

"Mā te pūtea āpiti nei taea ai te whakawhanake tonu i ngā mahi kua mahia kētia kia matihiko tuatahi, kia ārahina e ngā kōrero, kia nui atu te tūhono ki ngā hapori. He hōkaitanga tēnei ki te whakatinanatanga o tā mātau whāinga kia whakapāhōtia ngā karere Māori, ahakoa te wā, ahakoa te wāhi, ahakoa te pūrere," te kī a Taurima.