tractatus/docs/TE_REO_MAORI_TRANSLATION_REQUIREMENTS.md

Te Reo Māori Translation Requirements

Status: Respectfully Deferred Until System Completion Priority: CRITICAL (Values Alignment - Te Tiriti Partnership) Date: October 15, 2025 Approach: Cultural Sensitivity First

Why We're Waiting (And Why That's Respectful)

Tractatus is built on principles of Te Tiriti partnership and indigenous sovereignty. Providing content in Te Reo Māori is a core values commitment that demonstrates respect for indigenous knowledge and self-determination.

However, cultural sensitivity demands we approach Māori communities only when we have something complete and valuable to offer.

Approaching with an incomplete, unstable system would be:

• Tokenistic (checking a diversity box)
• Disrespectful of people's time and expertise
• Potentially extractive (asking for cultural labor without reciprocal value)

Therefore, this deferral is out of respect, not lack of interest.

We will approach Māori language experts and communities when:

1. ✅ The system is complete and stable
2. ✅ We can demonstrate real value and utility
3. ✅ We have resources to properly compensate consultation
4. ✅ We can offer a meaningful partnership, not just translation work

Requirements

Professional Māori Language Consultation

All Te Reo Māori translations MUST:

1. Be reviewed by qualified Māori language experts

   • Native speakers with expertise in technical/academic translation
   • Understanding of te reo Māori in digital/technology contexts
   • Cultural knowledge to ensure appropriate terminology

2. Undergo cultural appropriateness review

   • Ensure terminology aligns with tikanga Māori
   • Verify concepts are expressed in culturally appropriate ways
   • Check for any inadvertent cultural insensitivity

3. Use proper macrons (tohutō)

   • All long vowels properly marked (ā, ē, ī, ō, ū)
   • Correct pronunciation guidance
   • Proper orthography throughout

4. Follow contemporary te reo Māori standards

   • Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission) guidelines
   • Modern vocabulary for technical concepts
   • Appropriate register for formal website content

Infrastructure Status

✅ Technical Setup Complete:

• i18next internationalization framework installed
• Translation file structure created (/public/locales/en/, /public/locales/mi/)
• Language detection configured
• Translation loading mechanism ready

❌ Translations NOT Complete:

• English baseline translations extracted
• Māori translations require professional creation
• No placeholder/AI-generated translations deployed

Pages Requiring Translation (Priority Order)

Phase 1 (Highest Priority)

1. Homepage (index.html)

   • Core mission and values
   • Navigation
   • Call to action

2. About/Values Page (about.html, about/values.html)

   • Core values and principles
   • Te Tiriti partnership statement
   • Cultural commitments

3. Core Framework Documentation

   • Introduction to Tractatus
   • Core concepts
   • Why it matters

Phase 2 (Medium Priority)

4. Researcher path page
5. Implementer path page
6. Advocate path page
7. FAQ section

Phase 3 (Lower Priority)

8. Blog posts
9. Case studies
10. Technical documentation

Translation Guidelines

Terminology Approach

For technical AI safety concepts:

• Consult with Māori language experts on appropriate terminology
• Consider whether to:
  • Use English loan words (with proper Māori pronunciation)
  • Create new Māori terms
  • Use existing Māori concepts that map appropriately

Example concepts requiring careful translation:

• "Governance" - kawanatanga vs mana/rangatiratanga
• "Framework" - hanganga / anga
• "AI Safety" - haumaru hangarau/matihiko
• "Human Agency" - mana tangata / tino rangatiratanga
• "Transparency" - māramatanga / pūataata

Consultation Resources

Recommended Contacts:

• Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori (Māori Language Commission)
• Local iwi with technology/education expertise
• Māori technologists and academics
• Translation services specializing in te reo Māori

Budget Consideration:

• Professional Māori translation services: Estimate NZD $0.20-0.40 per word
• Total word count (Phase 1): ~5,000 words
• Estimated cost: NZD $1,000-2,000

Implementation Plan

1. ✅ Infrastructure Setup (October 15, 2025)

   • i18next installed and configured
   • Directory structure created
   • Language detection ready

2. ⏳ Professional Consultation (Pending)

   • Identify qualified Māori language consultant
   • Provide English baseline translations
   • Review and approve terminology approach

3. ⏳ Translation Creation (Pending)

   • Professional translation of Phase 1 content
   • Cultural appropriateness review
   • Quality assurance

4. ⏳ Implementation (Pending)

   • Deploy Māori translations
   • Add language selector to navigation
   • Test all pages

5. ⏳ Ongoing Maintenance (Pending)

   • Process for new content translation
   • Regular review of existing translations
   • Community feedback mechanism

Ethical Considerations

We will NOT:

• Use AI/machine translation for Māori content
• Deploy translations without professional review
• Create placeholder translations ourselves
• Rush this process to meet arbitrary deadlines

We will:

• Invest proper time and resources
• Respect Māori language and culture
• Seek qualified consultation
• Be transparent about translation status
• Accept that this may take longer than other features

Current Approach: Testing with German and French First

Rationale: Before approaching Māori communities, we will:

1. Complete the website and framework
2. Test internationalization with German and French translations
3. Validate the framework's ability to handle cultural adaptation
4. Ensure the system is stable and valuable

German and French translations:

• Use DeepL for initial high-quality translations
• Test language selector functionality
• Validate cultural appropriateness in European contexts
• Refine internationalization architecture

This approach allows us to:

• Perfect the technical infrastructure
• Identify cultural adaptation challenges
• Demonstrate the framework works internationally
• Approach Māori communities with a proven, complete system

Current Status

Infrastructure: ✅ Ready (i18next installed, directories created) German Translation: ⏳ In Progress (DeepL + review) French Translation: ⏳ In Progress (DeepL + review) Te Reo Māori: ⏸️ Respectfully deferred until system completion

Next Action: Complete German and French translations, then approach Māori communities when system is stable and valuable

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Contact for Translation Questions:

• Email: support@agenticgovernance.digital
• Subject: "Te Reo Māori Translation Consultation"

Last Updated: October 15, 2025 Document Owner: Tractatus Project Team