Inspiring Stories Blog
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School Report: Kura kaupapa drive top te reo Māori marks up
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · July 26, 2021 5:00 AM
Students are leaving school with levels of Māori language proficiency not seen in decades, experts say. -
Frozen, The Lion King to be dubbed in te reo Māori
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · July 23, 2021 1:36 AM
Production is underway to create te reo Māori versions of Disney classics, Frozen and The Lion King. -
Calling in on The Godfather
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · July 18, 2021 10:10 PM
"I’m good with anybody who makes the effort. I’ve learned other languages and they’ve been quite tolerant, too. So I believe that if the effort is sincere, then give them all the help they want." - Tā Tīmoti Karetū
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Matariki: A lot can change in a year - Shilo Kino
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · July 04, 2021 8:00 AM
When we first started learning about the kaupapa of Matariki six weeks ago, I didn't think it would be another exercise in decolonising but I was wrong. Everything in te reo Māori is hōhonu - deep - because there is life force in everything we learn. He mauri tō ngā mea kātoa. -
A Māori Siri: Voice apps that recognise te reo Māori a possible future
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · July 02, 2021 4:02 PM
Human: “Hey Siri, can you take me to Kaitaia?” Siri: “Which car tire?” -
Masters study for te reo to launch in July, following national demand - NZ Herald
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · June 29, 2021 12:00 PM
"The programme is about providing Māori language excellence for highly competent Māori language tauira." says kaiako, Pania Papa. The course is said to be very similar to Te Panekiretanga o te Reo, a top Māori language academy which closed its doors two years ago.
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Album of songs will celebrate 50 years of Te Matatini
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · June 28, 2021 6:55 PM
Songs that epitomise 50 years of Te Matatini will be recorded in an album marking the 50th anniversary of the national kapa haka competition in 2022. “You will hear a vibrant and new sound that will help elevate the Māori language” -
Pop-up cafe helps students gain barista and te reo Māori skills
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · June 24, 2021 6:47 PM
People can get a discount off their kawhe by using te reo Māori at Awatapu College's pop-up cafe. This is to encourage the normalisation of the language. -
Veteran Māori broadcaster stunned by pilot's perfect announcements in te reo
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · June 24, 2021 6:47 PM
A pilot's perfect use of te reo impressed a passenger so much that he asked to meet him and was blown away to discover the pilot wasn't Māori, but simply endeavouring to learn and use te reo as much as possible. -
Trade training in Te Reo Māori launched in Waikato
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · June 23, 2021 1:25 PM
Ngā Taiātea has teamed up with BCITO to provide the first NCEA level 3 building, construction and allied trades skills units in Te Reo Māori. Up until now, only English versions have been available. -
Pop chart launches for te reo Māori songs
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · June 20, 2021 11:58 PM
A weekly chart for the most popular songs in te reo Māori is being launched today. The official chart will compile the top 10 songs in te reo Māori by sales, streams and airplay. -
Artist calls out racism after te reo Māori sticker gets graffiti complaint
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · June 16, 2021 5:53 PM
Hohepa Thompson is trying to encourage the everyday use of te reo Māori, so he put a label reading rāpihi (rubbish) on the council bin outside his store, but the sticker kept disappearing and then the bin disappeared too... -
Christchurch teen elevating te reo Māori usage - one floor at a time
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · June 15, 2021 5:00 AM
Rangimarie Te’evale-Hunt, 15, fought for two years to have te reo Māori spoken in her school's lifts. After the involvement of Fair Go, lift company Schindler Lifts agreed to changing the elevator voice to a bi-cultural one. -
How learning te reo Māori helped me heal my mental health
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · June 15, 2021 5:00 AM
Like many of our rangatahi, Katelyn Vaha’akolo struggled with her mental health as a teen, but over time she’s found the things that keep her wairua tau and changed her perspective on life - now she wants to encourage others to speak up and find what helps them. -
Mind your language: the backlash against the te reo revival
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · June 11, 2021 2:20 PM
Why is a minority still threatened by the use of the Māori language? -
The Backstory: Why Stuff’s homepage greets you with 'Kia ora, Aotearoa!' not 'Hello, New Zealand!'
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · June 10, 2021 9:26 AM
Here’s the beautiful thing about inclusive language: it doesn’t exclude you. -
Gentle, respectful, humble: how non-Māori can help revitalise te reo
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · June 08, 2021 11:47 PM
“The way that Pākehā engage with te reo is going to be different to a Māori person who has grown up without their ancestral language, seen it battered – literally, beaten out of their whānau..." -
How to Bring a Language to Life - Dr Ruakere Hond
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · June 08, 2021 1:44 AM
Dr Ruakere Hond is a long-time kaiako (teacher) of the Māori language through a community-based approach to learning. A passionate proponent of the revitalization of the Māori language, Ruakere shares why indigenous languages are so important in modern society. -
Former Katchafire member Hāni Dread releases new waiata saluting te reo revolutionaires
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · May 31, 2021 1:00 PM
Former Katchafire member Hāni Totorewa says his new waiata Kōkiri “is for those who fought for the maori language to be recognised”. -
Robert Rakete brought to tears by te reo translation of The Breeze radio jingle
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · May 20, 2021 2:30 PM
“I’m so proud that we are doing this — not just because we want to do the right thing — we’re just doing it because we should,” The Breeze host said. -
'It was very spiritual': Musicians share stories of song and te reo while recording Waiata/Anthems
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · May 02, 2021 5:00 AM
"I walked into the studio, met Don, sung it a few times and then left. Little did we know what it would go on to become." -
This doesn’t make us less
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · May 02, 2021 3:29 AM
“Some of my generation may never receive the precious gift of time and energy to learn te reo Māori. This doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. This doesn’t mean it doesn’t cut deeper each day.” Shelley Burne-Field on the pain of being 'reo-less'. -
Māori Language Moment recognised in global awards
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · April 29, 2021 11:00 AM
Māori Language Moment named a finalist in the globally recognised Reed Awards. -
Language, and more: The challenges for kura Māori students arriving at university
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · April 23, 2021 11:50 AM
Raiha Cook grew up attending kura Māori, but when she decided to study at the University of Otago she found the move from te ao Māori to European-style learning difficult. Now she's researching that transition to help make it easier for students to feel safe at mainstream universities. -
How non-Māori students play a part in te reo revitalisation
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · April 16, 2021 3:36 PM
A research first has highlighted the important role of non-Māori learning te reo for the revitalisation of the language. Charlotte Muru-Lanning spoke to Dr Will Flavell about where the language is going. Before he started learning te reo Māori, Dr Will Flavell (Ngā Puhi, Ngāti Whatua, Ngāti Mani -
Poetry of US civil rights activist Maya Angelou translated and heard in te reo Māori
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · April 16, 2021 3:30 PM
For the first time, well-known poems by famous poet Maya Angelou have been translated into te reo Māori and recited to celebrate wāhine and te reo rangatira. -
Making te reo Māori cool: what language revitalisation could learn from the Korean Wave
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · April 16, 2021 3:27 PM
The state-sponsored pop cultural renaissance of Korea shows how language isn't an obstacle to world domination. -
Stacey Morrison: Te reo growing pains
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · April 16, 2021 11:13 AM
When there were cries of "Māori snowflakes" in the media, it seemed to me the writer was inadvertently confirming the genuine snowball effect that Te Reo. -
Reikura Kahi: Fuelling a love for te reo
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · April 16, 2021 9:38 AM
“It's up to us to keep fighting for our language and ensure its survival. Our language is essential to our identity as Māori.” — Reikura Kahi. -
I'm non verbal, but that won't stop me from speaking Māori
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · April 16, 2021 9:34 AM
“For me, te reo adds another dimension to being Māori. It enables one to feel a sense of belonging and connection to their culture and I want to be able to experience that privilege.” -
Keep your complaints about te reo Māori to yourself, BSA rules
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · March 09, 2021 1:08 PM
The regulatory body that investigates complaints about our TV and radio programmes has today made it clear that the use of te reo Māori is not a breach of any broadcasting standard. Since June last year, the Broadcasting Standards Authority has received 27 enquiries about the use of te reo Māori -
Reclaiming what was lost
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · March 07, 2021 3:29 AM
“That bridge tragedy in 1947 severed my links to my taha Māori. And only now, in my early 40s, am I reclaiming what was lost.” — Cornell Tukiri. -
Te Reo Māori: A new era for the language - Hēmi Kelly
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · February 04, 2021 1:44 AM
Hēmi Kelly explores the benefits of learning te reo Māori, and addresses possible obstacles that have hindered learning in the past, so that the language can continue to flourish and reach new heights of recognition in the future. -
Record enrolment for te reo Māori, foreign languages down
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · December 24, 2020 12:00 PM
The number of teenagers studying te reo Māori at secondary school has passed 30,000 for the first time. -
No longer scared to speak my language
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · December 06, 2020 3:55 AM
My whole life I’ve been scared to speak my language. First I was scared of getting it wrong, then I was scared that I was wrong to be speaking it at all. -
Keeping Māori storytelling alive
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · November 29, 2020 3:29 AM
In a world where technology is taking over and oral traditions are at risk of dying with our kaumātua, Lee Timutimu, with the help of a few famous friends, has made it his mission to keep Māori storytelling alive.
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A whānau affair
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · November 21, 2020 3:53 AM
“We have almost four generations of te reo Māori speakers in our family. My goal in life before I leave this earth is that those teachings will funnel down to the next three generations after my children.” — Eli Smith. -
Fish and chips and a serving of te reo
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · November 15, 2020 3:29 AM
The Matthews have been serving up te reo to their customers since 2018. The response from customers was so enthusiastic that they decided to host a beginners reo Māori class at the restaurant. Free. They were blown away when about 3,000 people showed interest. -
This Pākehā life
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · November 12, 2020 4:01 AM
“I decided to enrol in an immersion course at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, in South Auckland. My friends were impressed, commending me for my ‘bravery’.” — Alison Jones -
Reflecting the reo world
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · November 05, 2020 11:47 PM
Kristin Ross on the challenges of raising children in a reo-Māori speaking household. “Their decision to be a reo Māori-speaking household instantly cut off friends and whānau who either didn't agree with their decision or found it too challenging...”
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Karena Kelly: Translating Dr Seuss into te reo Māori
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · October 26, 2020 11:45 AM
Dr Karena Kelly, a specialist in Māori language and linguistics, took on the task of translating Seuss’ last book published before his death Oh, The Places You’ll Go. -
Young Māori clothing designer finds his passion through te reo
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · October 18, 2020 1:00 PM
Luke Moss is a clothing designer from Te Kuiti who makes clothes centred around Māori identity. Luke grew up hating being Māori but connected with his culture after learning te reo. -
Pay attention to those who go before - Tainui Stephens
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · October 03, 2020 3:51 AM
"The words of our old people are the stars that guide us on our language journey", says Tainui Stephens. Here he writes about some of the kaumātua who showed him the way. -
Revitalising te reo a three-generation process: Prof Rawinia Higgins
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · September 19, 2020 10:40 AM
Hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders joined together to speak, sing and celebrate te reo at midday on Monday. This "Maori Language Moment", part of Te Wiki o te reo Maori, was the single largest celebration of the Maori language in our history. -
Justice Joe Williams on te reo Māori, and synthesising Aotearoa law
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · September 19, 2020 5:00 AM
“I learned the reo out of joy for the world finally making sense. And I learned the law out of optimism that if it was the agent for the destruction of my koroua’s mana then it equally could be the agent for the reconstruction of the mana of his mokopuna and great mokopuna...” -
Māori studies expert shares 'significant' history of how Te Wiki o te Reo Māori came to be
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · September 15, 2020 12:00 PM
Vini Olsen-Reeder says a petition delivered to Parliament in 1972 sparked generations of action. -
Hinewehi Mohi: Beyond Twickenham
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · September 13, 2020 11:45 AM
“We’re talking about the creation of a bilingual music industry... Eventually, all our artists will know that this is something they can access and do, and it will become normal that an artist might have a reo Māori track on their album, as much as they might have a remix.” -
A yearning for the reo
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · August 20, 2020 12:00 PM
“We need to re-establish communities where the language is used in homes and there’s a support network. We want the language to be caught, not taught. We want a living language, not a textbook language, so my whole dream is to reinstate intergenerational transmission where parents use the language to raise their children.”
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Stacey Morrison: Learning te reo Māori is sometimes a luxury
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · August 16, 2020 5:00 AM
Learning te reo Māori is not just an academic exercise, says the broadcaster. -
Finding your voice through the reo - Tainui Stephens
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · August 02, 2020 4:17 AM
For a long time, I thought that learning te reo Māori was just about learning a language. How wrong I was. Any language represents the personality of the people who speak it. The hardest part about learning Māori, is learning how to think Māori. -
Welcome to the reo-volution: On the explosion in Māori language learning
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · March 02, 2020 2:45 PM
With te reo Māori classes about to start for 2020, the ‘no vacancy’ signs are going up around the country as people continue to flock to learn our native language. There’s no denying that a reo-volution is underway across Aotearoa.
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Pimp my reo - Moana Maniapoto
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · February 09, 2020 4:08 AM
I’ve always wanted to be confidently fluent and, at times, I’ve felt like it’s been within my grasp, that I’ve almost got there. But then I let it slip away. Other priorities and distractions, life and stuff... I’m going in. It’s time to . . . ā-ā-ākona te reo. -
Rawinia Higgins: We’re not being too PC about te reo Māori. We’re worried
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · January 16, 2020 2:45 PM
One of our most well-known food companies, Watties, launched a campaign recently that deliberately misspelled place names, in te reo and English. New Zealand’s first language is endangered. We can’t afford to normalise misspelling and mispronunciation any more than it already is. -
Celebrating our reo warriors
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · December 01, 2019 4:14 AM
“When the Māori Language Commission first opened its doors in 1987, te reo was viewed by many New Zealanders as something that would divide us. Māori language proponents were often seen as the enemy.” -
Timoti Karetu: A stickler for standards
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · October 27, 2019 4:33 AM
A couple of years ago, Timoti Karetu, who’s now 82, was knighted for his services to Te Reo Māori. That KNZM wasn’t any surprise because, in a career spanning 60 years, he’d been a major force on behalf of the language — as a school teacher, university lecturer and professor, haka performer, composer and tutor, author, Māori Language Commissioner, kōhanga reo advocate, mentor and, above all, a stickler for standards. -
The woman who fought to say 'kia ora'
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · September 18, 2018 12:00 PM
In 1984 Dame Rangimarie Naida Glavish was almost fired for saying 'kia ora'. We take a look at how her protest paved the way for Te Reo in New Zealand 🙋🇳🇿... -
Wellington law firm to train all its staff in te reo Māori
Posted by Kiriana Hautapu · June 21, 2018 6:44 AM
Wellington firm becomes first private organisation in NZ to adopt a "Reo Plan" with Māori Language Commission.