My family have been in NZ for 7 generations. They first arrived as soldiers for the queen. I have always wanted to feel like I to belong to NZ, be a part of the wider NZ culture rather than always be asked where I come from. You see-I feel I come from New Zealand and as part of this I need to master the languages of my country. I need to be confident to use this language in everyday conversation, not just sporatically as I remember the word or phrase that is appropriate. I want to help Te Reo Maaori become a commonly spoken language again and see people using it in everyday environments as the norm. I know I am only a very tiny part of the picture, but I feel that to really be a New Zealander, we all need to make the effort to step up and master our national languages and embrace or different cultures fully.