Language development is imperative for cognitive growth, communication, survival and transmission of culture, values ​​and traditions (Hemara, 2000). Language reflects realities and establishes membership in the group that uses the language (Karetu & Waite, 1998). The Tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, the Māori people, speak Te Reo, a language they consider taonga (Hemara, 2000). Historical circumstances have led to many changes in the Māori way of life, which have resulted in the decline in the use and status of te reo. Ko te reo te hā te mauri or te māoritanga. When a nation loses its language, it loses its soul. The issue of the decline in the use and status of Te Reo is one deeply rooted in the history of Aotearoa New Zealand's settlement, which resonates to the present and will impact the future. This is an issue that needs to be considered with the greatest care and broad understanding as it relates to bicultural development in modern times and globally in Aotearoa New Zealand. Formal education in Aoetaroa New Zealand began using Māori as the language of instruction. It was widely used for socio-cultural and political interactions between Māori people and between Māori and Pakeha (Hemara, 2000). Māori society in the 1830s was one in its belief system, culture and language. Te reo is their means of cultural immersion, transmission and integration (Hayward, 2004). When the Treaty of Waitangi was signed in 1840, Maori remained the language of the people, allowing the publication of the first newspaper in the Maori language. By the 1850s, mass Pakeha migration exceeded the total population of local Māori. The impact of colonization has taken place. The signing of the treaty brought about a change in the mentality of...... middle of paper ......Walker, R. (1996). Ngā pepa a Ranginui/The Walker Papers. Auckland: Penguin Books. Walker, R. (2008). The philosophy of Te Whatu Pokeka: Kaupapa Māori assessments and learning examples. Retrieved July 21, 2014, from https://cdn.auckland.ac.nz/assets/education/about/research/docs/first%20years/fyv10issue2walker.pdf Waitangi Tribunal (1986). Report from the Waitangi Tribunal on the te reo claim. Retrieved July 21, 2014 from http://www.waitangitribunal.govt.nzWilliams, J. (2004). Papa-tūā-nuku. Attitudes towards the land. In TM Ka'ai, JC Moorfield, MPJ Reilly & S. Mosley (Eds.), Ki te whaiao. An introduction to Māori culture and society (pp. 50-60). Auckland: Pearson Education. Williams, N., Broadley, ME, Te-Aho K. (2012). Ngā Taonga Whakaako: Bicultural competence in early childhood education. Ako Aotearoa National Center for Higher Education Excellence: Wellington.