Kia ora. As a migrant in Aotearoa, I'm proud to have had the chance to learn te reo māori. I'm just beginning my journey and I'd love to know where I am 50 years from now. Can I say more than a few greetings? Can I have a full conversation? Can I read a book in te reo?

I feel it's all the more prudent to be writing this at a time when there's a lot of pushback from the government against reviving te reo maori to be the default language in Aotearoa. So much done to reverse all the progress of the last 50 years. But there's a lot of us who see the value in preserving and promoting this beautiful tongue. It's not just a language - it's a language that captures a way of life that is so precious and caring. Care, sharing, kindness, togetherness - these are all some of the things missing from a typical life today. And it'd be interesting to see where we are 50 years from now. Do more people speak te reo now? Has that meant our culture has also changed to one where we care for and respect each other and the land and oceans we live off?