Te pae kōrero | Our why

There are many things that define New Zealanders and connect us to our home: and te reo Māori is one of them.

Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to learn te reo and see it become normalised and spoken nationwide. Explore them below and share your favourites to inspire others to get involved.


Add your 'why'

I want to part of the movement that normalises and practices Te Ao Māori on a daily basis; I want...

Chanelle

My Nana said they used to get the cane everyday at school for speaking Mа̄ori...

Aketainga

I remember when I was 9 years old, and the idot Goverment at the time stopped Te Reo Māori being...

Anthony Comrie

My dream is to kōrero māori i ngā wa katoa...

Sariah Abish

It is important to me to learn to speak my language, learn my culture and share what i am learning...

Tania

My why is to embrace and re-ignite what was lost and discover and express the beauty of te ao Māori...

Mark

To learn this beautiful language and understand the culture, i did one year at Te Wananga learning but i feel...

Michelle

My why is to learn Te Reo and pass it on to our future generations...

Harsh Singh

I have reconnected with my language to tautoko my Husband and daughter and connect with there whakapapa...

Ngahina

Because language is fundamental to culture and if Te Reo thrives Māori will thrive - that is good for all...

Diana

Kia ora, ...

Kaya

my son is Maori and grew up in Hokianga...

Barbara

I want to be part of this because te reo is rich and beautiful, because it carries and imprints the...

Pete

o me te reo Māori is a precious native species that must not go extinct...

Sue

Kia whakapikia te hauora ai o taku whānau...

Mel

If we can understand a language, we can also understand a culture...

Belinda

Mā tōku reo e mōhiotia atu ai e te ao ko wai ahau, nō whea ahau...

Ropata

I love to learn a new language...

Etha
Manish

I am a teacher who tries her best to teach basic Te Reo to my students...

Tanya

Ko toku reo, te pou e whakaatu ana i te mata o toku ngakau...

Kura

Arahoe Team Teina are paddling our waka under the banner of our school whakataukī 'He waka eke noa' to support...

Lois
Sophie

Te Reo is an important part of who we are and the value it places on the Maori people is...

Ruth

Te reo Māori was the first language spoken in our country...

Debbie

I love languages and words...

Lee

We want to take part to celebrate the beautiful indigenous language of New Zealand...

Maia
Noel

We are committed to te reo Māori and kaupapa and have just employed a Director - Ngā Toi Māori to...

Noel

Ahakoa he iti he pounamu...

Taiarahia

Kia ūkaipō te reo Māori ki ngā kāinga, kia tupu te hiahia me te ngākau nui a Aotearoa whānui ki...

Whatumairangi

Encouraging my students to share their learning of te reo Maori, to normalise te reo Māori, to be the change...

Kylie
Michelle

Hei whakakoakoa i te reo mo nga reanga katoa...

Taiarahia

Ko te reo maori te reo o aku tipuna no Aotearoa...

Turiana

We are committed to te reo Māori and kaupapa and have just employed a Director - Ngā Toi Māori to...

Noel

We are always striving to develop our te reo Māori and as a school feel that the more we integrate...

Rowena

Na te mea Te Tiriti me tōku arohanui mo te tangata o te whenua...

Trudy

Ki te whakamana i te reo Maori hei reo mo nga reanga katoa...

Taiarahia

I love to learn Te Reo Maori...

Divijaa
Gretta

Kia ora koutou katoa...

Belinda

It is important to me to learn Te Reo Māori because I believe that in doing this is pay respect...

Emily

Te reo Maori is a taonga, that helps to revitalise the identity for Maori people, my humble appreciation goes to...

Charlie

Te Reo is important to us Kiwis and Speaking Te Reo is important everywhere so I think everyone should speak...

Senolee

We celebrated as a team by asking each other how we were feeling in te reo Māori before playing a...

William

I think it is what makes Aotearoa (NZ) unique...

Makere

Kotahitanga...

Alice

I love Te Reo Maori it is my passion I have done level 2 and level 4 Te Ara Reo...

Christina

Important as our identity as people and future generations of Aotearoa...

Asha

It ultimately fills my wairua cup reconnecting with our culture and people...

Tamzin

Ko te AROHA, te matapono o Foxton Primary School, Te Kura o Te Awahou...

Te Rahera

As a kindy whanau we treasure te reo Maori and include it in our day to day interactions and Waiata...

Bethany
Allanah

To help ensure our language continues to grow...

Sharon

Language is a tāonga!...

Kaitlyn

Te Reo is a tāonga and it is our duty to protect it...

William

Revitalisation of our reo is paramount...

Anahera

I am a perennial language student and have completed Te reo Level 2 and am interested in anything to do...

Sai

It is one of the three official languages of Aotearoa New Zealand...

Michelle

Too revitalise our reo, culture Te Ao Maaori...

Dwayne

Trying to learn another beautiful language...

Harpreet

Kia ora...

Rodney

Because it is the right thing to do...

Jennifer Morris

He Taonga tuku iho e rere ngaa mokopuna ...

Tainui Reweti

continue to grow together uniquely...

Gaylene

It is one of the three official languages of Aotearoa New Zealand...

Michelle

Te reo is the language of Aotearoa and we should all be part of the revitalisation...

Teresa

I want to honour and celebrate Māori as tāngata whenua...

Tania

I want to honour and celebrate Māori as tāngata whenua...

Tania

Learning and speaking Te Reo helps me connect with the Taiao and Whenua that we call 'Home'...

Kurien

Kia ora koutou...

Jeffrey

Te Ao Māori should be important to all kiwis - its the foundations of NZ...

Emma

Growing up , Māori unfortunately was not used often , as a Māmā of three I would love my own...

Kia Ora

To support a resurgence ...

Rachael

Part of embracing and engaging in the culture of my new home - Aotearoa...

Seini

Out of respect for our adopted home...

The Jacksons

"Ko Te Reo te Mauri o te Mana Māori"...

Kathleen

Te reo Māori is the language of Aotearoa...

Katy

Because Te Reo is our Native Language...

Jack

Because being Maori Matters...

Coral

By learning Te Reo Māori I am showing a commitment to a country which has provided me and my whānau...

Ian

I lived in Australia for 10 years, no te reo was spoken there...

Karen

It's important to support the revitalisation of Te Reo Māori for the coming generations...

Robyn

A truly Beautiful Language...

Valerie
Hammond

I may not be maori but that wont stop me from trying to learn...

Aedyn

To be proud as a citizen of Aotearoa and be part of the unique Maori culture...

Mohammed
Elliot

25 years ago, at teachers colleges, I learned how important teo Māori is to Āotearoa...

Kat

It is important for everyone to learn the culture of our country...

Janet

To promote Te Reo Maori in our workplace...

Pip

Keeping a language alive is important to keep the roots of a culture alive...

Caroline
Anneliese

Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao will waiata...

Marina

More nga taonga mokopuna...

Geneva

I want to learn because its such a beautiful language and also it is rude not to...

kyra

We are committed to te reo Māori and kaupapa and have just employed a Director - Ngā Toi Māori to...

Noel

As a kaiako, I want to add to my kete of knowledge...

Kristie

I began learning te reo in the 1950s and as a pakeha was considered by 0ther pakeha as strange...

Janette