As a white Australian, with English/Irish/Scottish/German ancestry, it's very important for me living in this country of Aotearoa to tautoko the tangata whenua by acknowledging them and the whenua through using te reo. Aotearoa issues a challenge to all peoples of the world to acknowledge the tangata whenua in every land and make amends for the terrible injustice perpetrated by some of my ancestors and my colonial culture. Speaking the indigenous language opens up my cognitive awareness so I can be more of who I am created to be.