๐ฅ๐ข/๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ช | ๐ฎ๐ฒ๐ข๐ข๐ฏ | ๐ซ๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ด!
it is really cool that there is now an official maori word for autism, created with input from autistic maoris, and it was specifically coined to be nonjudgmental
quote from article:
“In my experience, people with autism tend to have their own timing, spacing, pacing and life-rhythm, so I interpreted autism as ‘takiwatanga’, meaning ‘his or her own time and space’,” [Keri Opai] told government-funded Maori Television.
(source)
I’m not crying, you’re crying.
It’s also key to note that the word for disabled in te reo Maori is now whaikaha (to have strength or to be differently able), and at the same time takiwatanga and whaikaha were minted, about 200 words were added that also describe other mental health, addiction, and disability issues.
So now, about 125,000 of the roughly 561,000 Maori people in NZ will be able to effectively describe and discuss autism and so much more in their native language for the benefit of themselves and their loved ones. That is the best thing I’ve heard all day.
