Kapiti teenager Finnian Galbraith says he had absolutely no idea his speech urging New Zealanders to stop mangling the Māori language would go viral.
Picked up by international websites such as the BBC and the Guardian, the YouTube video has continued to get views and international attention. It has now had close to 120,000 views and the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.
In an interview with Radio New Zealand, the 15-year-old Kapiti College student said he had no idea was surprised when the video went viral.
LISTEN to the interview with Finnian Galbraith:
"I had absolutely no idea it was going to come to this - it's amazing really."
Asked what prompted his impassioned plea for respect for the indigenous language, Finnian said he had te reo Māori class at Paekakariki Primary School once a week and he sees the preservation of Māori culture as a big issue.
He said the link was originally shared with teachers at Kapiti College and "it just kind of exploded from there ... it's gone crazy".
"I've had heaps of congratulations from other people," Finnian said. "It's pretty awesome."
Those reactions include: "Kia Ora Finnian you absolutely rock!! Your speech is fantastic and so true"; "Come on New Zealand, listen to what this delightful young man is saying. Go Finnian"; "great speech, an hour a week should be compulsory in NZ. I would like to see Te Reo as part of a standard NZ curriculum for primary kids"; and simply "Kia ora 'cuz' ".
In the video, Finnian says culture is "priceless" and New Zealanders should be proud of the Māori language, which is part of all New Zealanders' culture. Yet on TV and on the radio, people see and hear so many people mispronouncing Maori names and words every day.
Pronouncing te reo Māori correctly is a big step forward in preserving the culture, Finnian says: "If we lose the language - the pillar of tradition - the whole culture will be weakened and a whole lot of history and knowledge will be lost without the language."
As an official language, te reo Māori should be pronounced correctly. He said there was no "Pakeha way" of saying Māori words and it's not hard - people can learn just by listening.
For example, Finnian said there are just five key vowel sounds and people already know how to say them, for example Ka from Kapiti sounds like the car we drive, and Rau from Raumati sounds like the row in rowing a boat.
Giving it a go and being willing to learn is what counts, Finnian said.
Some internet commentators are predicting a bright future for him. He told Radio New Zealand he is always looking for new opportunities and new things to do so - watch this space.
*As part of Māori Language Week next week, The Wireless will be running everyday te reo phrases for saying hello, getting somewhere, describing food, explaining relationships and going out.
A version of this story was first published on radionz.co.nz.
