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The iwi and hapū of Tūranga have traditionally had high levels of interaction with the English language. However, the ability of iwi, hapū and whānau to focus themselves around their respective marae enabled the people of Tūranga to maintain their Māori language speaking networks.
The Ringatū church also has a considerable role in language maintenance in this area, as does the role of kapa haka. The Waihīrere kapa haka group was officially established in 1952 and was the first group to win the inaugural national kapa haka festival in 1972.
The local rūnanga, Te Rūnanga o Tūranganui a Kiwa, has invested in broadcasting and education initiatives to support language revitalisation. The iwi radio station, Tūranga FM, broadcasts in te reo Māori for eight hours each day. The Rūnanga also runs its own private training establishment, Tūranga Ararau. This iwi training provider delivers te reo and tikanga courses for certificate levels 1-4. The Tairāwhiti Polytechnic offers certificate and degree level language programmes. In addition to this, a series of community driven short courses are offered in tīkanga, mahi toi, kapa haka and ngā tākaro.
