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