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Growing up, Twitch streamer PeachxFlame * was not allowed to speak to you in Maori.
Now, every day at 11 am, he greets thousands of his subscribers with a friendly “kia ora” and tells them all about his Maori language and culture.
PeachxFlame, along with humble and beloved woodcarver Broxh, streamer and voice actor BlametheRobot, podcaster TimProvise, and variety streamer BC_Riki, are helping educate the Twitch community about Te Wiki or Te Reo Māori, La Semana of the Maori language.
“[It’s] Such a 180 to grow up and make it feel like it wasn’t necessarily something to be proud of, ”said PeachxFlame. Stuff.
ROSA WOODS / Things
Blame the Robot is one of 10 Twitch Maori streamers to feature in the platform’s Maori Language Week campaign.
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Video streaming giant Twitch is participating in Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, which appears to be a first for any large social media company.
Lewis Mitchell, the company’s partnership leader for Australia and New Zealand, was excited to highlight Maori creators who use the platform and help revitalize te reo.
“On average, there are over 1.5 million people tuning in to Twitch at any given time, and our mission is to bring people together every day, if we can help a handful of them connect with our Maori creators and discover more. about their culture and I blame you, that would be great. “
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Lewis Mitchell, Partnership Leader for Twitch ANZ, expected the Te Wiki o te Reo MÄ ?? ori on the platform will help to revitalize the language among users.
The Twitch ANZ team is also using this week as an opportunity to expand their own vocabulary I reo you.
“Across the team, we have already learned a lot from the mainstream Maori creators like Broxh,” Mitchell said.
Ten Maori content creators, doing everything from games and podcasts to shoe customization and Christchurch tours, were featured on the website’s front page daily. Stuff I caught up with some of them.
Blame the robot
PINK WOODS / THINGS
Blame the Robot, also known as Josh Kamau, incorporates te reo Māori on his Twitch channel. Talk to Stuff about what Te Wiki or Te Reo Māori means to him.
PeachxFlame
On Monday, when PeachxFlame was presented, 17,000 viewers joined her as she spoke about her culture and her relationship with te reo. To her surprise, she even ended up explaining what a hangi is.
She used her spotlight as an opportunity to share Māoritanga with her predominantly Canadian, British and American audience, and connect with the Kiwis who make up the smallest portion of her viewers.
Since creating his channel last year, he has amassed a loyal following of around 4,000 people. So for six days a week starting at 11 a.m. M., Jump online and start playing, while talking you Maori reo here and there.
She is by no means fluent, but she is proud of the progress she has made over the years.
“When I grew up, I was actually forbidden to learn [by] my family … my father is Maori but [he] faced a lot of discrimination [growing up]. “
For her, the language is a source of pride, especially on a platform where it is almost unheard of.
“It has been almost therapeutic in a way, using te reo in a broadcast and sharing Maori culture… with an audience living abroad.
“The answer I always get is often ‘I didn’t even know New Zealand had this other language.’
She has used her platform to educate viewers on the importance of the kapa haka, explain the haka outside the context of rugby, and introduce words, slang and songs.
“Things that seem so normal to me and that every day seem so strange to others. [It’s] really fun spreading these touches of tea on the broadcasts. “
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TimProvise started streaming games, like many other Twitch users, but their channel has evolved since then.
TimProvise
In his work and in his life, TimProvise * is based on the saying “he waka eke noa”, which means that we are all in this together.
“[I] always use it with anyone who is part of my team. “
He grew up speaking Maori teh until the age of 5, but when he went to an English-speaking school, his knowledge of the language disappeared.
“My journey in te reo is still unfolding and I am happy to be able to bring what I know to people who can do kōrero … and try [to] give them a couple of sentences. “
In three years, TimProvise’s Twitch channel has evolved into an interactive online podcast.
Use the platform to talk about your whakapapa and have kōreros with the likes of John Campbell, Jack Tame, and Chlöe Swarbrick, to name a few.
“They come and I interview them and we have a good time… I can be myself. I always welcome my guests in te reo. “
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TimProvise hosts an interactive podcast on Twitch. Jack Tame has made an appearance before.
He used his Te Wiki or Te Reo Māori spotlight to have a “late” conversation and share his knowledge of the language.
“There are not many Maori creators, but the ones that are there are amazing … it’s nice to see.”
Having the opportunity to showcase your cultural identity with millions of users on the platform has been a game changer. While it may be a bit overwhelming, it was not a stressful situation, he said.
“At the end of the day, I know that I am doing something positive for our language, as long as I am professional and stay on the right track.
“This is our chance to … show that we have a lot of Maori creators on the platform.”
BC_Riki
Riki *, known as BC_Riki online, is what is called a variety transmitter. When he’s not streaming mobile games five nights a week, he takes people around Christchurch.
“A lot of my viewers are from Asia or the United States, so they like to learn a lot about New Zealand,” he said. Stuff.
Throughout her broadcasts, she tries to incorporate as much Maori Reo Teas as she can, but admits that it’s hard to do it all the time, and a bit stressful.
“I used to feel ashamed to be a Maori and I am not fluent.
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BC_Riki is a variety streamer who has gained a following by playing mobile games and sharing on real life broadcasts.
“I did kapa haka… all through school… but I was never able to speak fluently and I think it’s because everyday life at school was in English.
“I always want to learn and I always want to learn more about culture.”
Since he started his channel last year, he has noticed that more Kiwi viewers sign up with a friendly “kia ora”.
Riki hoped that the Te Wiki o te Reo Māori feature would help normalize te reo on his channel and across the platform. “This has prompted me to use it more often than I might have.”
For others who may feel nervous about speaking to you, Riki shared some tips.
“Just try it [to] practice at home … try saying it out loud to your family, friends, or someone you feel comfortable with. “
* Streamers did not want to reveal their names offline, for privacy reasons.
