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'

We believe that all tamariki need to learn and be immersed in Te Reo Maori and learn about the history of Aotearoa.

Whole school is upskilling in te reo.

Bu

Because I have always loved the culture and the history! !

Rebecca Waitaha Specialist School

To undo some of the negative effects of colonialism. To contribute to a movement of tangita wheneua where people belong to land, rather than land belonging to individual people.

Willem

Born and bread in New Zealand it is very important to embrace the Maori the culture and being pacific island our culture are similar in many ways. Te Reo is part of our culture, it's what makes us proud to be a Kiwi ! Especially watching the All Blacks and Black Ferns do the haka - gives you that sense of Mana!

Lima

As a team of educators we are proactive in our aim to support the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi - (partnership, participation and protections) in order for our ākonga to embrace the bicultural history and heritage of Aotearoa.

Jill

Hapu and iwi structure and well being

Tauti Daniel

Arangi

I love Aotearoa New Zealand and feel so fortunate to be born in a country to parents who brought me and my siblings up with respect for tangata whenua; learning 'little pieces' of te reo Māori has opened up my eyes to the depth of te Ao Māori and how much richer and wiser we are as people when we learn more about each other, especially the people of this land.

Nancy

Fiona

Cause Te Reo is so important

Andrew

It's so important that we embrace our taonga - Te Reo Maori - in schools so that we know the language will not be lost.

Kellee

Frank Tomas

This is one of the special languages of NZ/Aotearoa. It's important that I learn more so that I can teach my students. I also love how we integrate Te Reo with English when we speak. It's so unique and makes the language a living part of what it means to be a Kiwi.

Whaea Robyn

I want to learn and use Maori everyday so my children can know their culture, value and help it flourish.

Tania

Yes

Donnella

Parminder

Parminder

It is our responsibility to revitalise Te reo màori for future generations

Raylene

Migrating from India to Aotearoa I can fully understand the importance of keeping your language Alive. A Language is an identity of a race. When its been harmed and is endangered by the Colonization then a Movement is the only way to protect it so you can feel free from the constant reminder of invasion. People have to have deeper and stronger desire, hunger and passion for the language as it describes your culture and heritage. So kia kaha Aoyearoa! !

Parminder

mike will ako. "I will learn a few words and use them as much as I can. "

mike

He Taonga te reo Māori e ai ki te Tiriti o Waitangi nōreira he mea nui tērā kia whaimana tō tātou nei reo ki roto ki ngā kaupapa huhua puta noa i te motu o Aotearoa, he mea nui anō hoki kia whakaako i te reo Māori ki roto ki ngā momo kura me ngā waahi mahi, ngā tari mahi katoa o te motu. For children or people like myself in which te reo was not a choice but instead the mother tongue of my existence, the first language of my living and learning from kōhanga reo to kura kaupapa, to Wharekura then University Te Reo Māori has always been the dominant language in my life! I feel my journey in Te Reo Māori is to teach and implement although I do have times where I am still developing to strengthen my reo I do feel that acquire the skills to help and influence others to learn and speak. Ko taku reo taku ōranga! Ko taku reo taku hā wairua, ko taku reo taku tuakiri, ko taku reo te hono tāngaengae ki ōku mātua tūpuna! Kia kaha tonu tātou ki te kōrero me te whakamana i te reo taketake me te reo tuatahi o tēnei whenua!

Keta

shannel

I hail from India and have migrated to New Zealand around 15 years ago. I feel that for any culture to be preserved the five essential features are - Language, Music, Dress, Medicine and Food. I was surprised to learn that Te Reo is not spoken by many Maori, as the language has been lost over time. It is heartening to see that efforts are being made to rejuvenate the language. As initially a manuhiri and now considering myself a part of the whanau known as Aotearoa, I feel that nurturing Te Reo is both a privilege and a debt I owe to this land.

Manish

We need to promote the native culture and language of Aotearoa. I work to make sure I’m pronouncing Te Reo correctly because it’s beautiful and full of history and heritage.

Patricia

Tōku reo tōku ohooho tōku reo tōku mapihi maurea xx Tbh, I'm fatigued from being in lockdown for so long, and teaching online is HARD. So it is poignant that our celebration is in a time that is so difficult, uniting people when we are forced to be separated and providing a way for us to inject fun and purpose for one hour of our day. He tino whakamana tērā. Koinā te pakō.

Melisa

It is important that our tamariki are able to keep Te Reo alive. They are the future of the language.

Brenda

I need to carry out what my grandmother on my mums side always wanted me to do and that was to learn Te Reo properly! When I was a kid I spent a lot of time with cousins on the marae up north where my mother and grandmother grew up, mostly at Tangi, but I was too hoha and wanted to play outside and play sport and didn't spend enough time learning about Te Ao Maori inside the Wharenui.

Steven

Language is so important to our identity and ties us to our roots. How would we all feel if our language were lost ?

Vicky

its important to me that i think its all about kia kaha te reo maori me korero wa katoa waiata mai ka maia kia mana kia manawanui

Haylee

To celebrate and awhi our language and culture! For our tupuna and our mokopuna ❤️🇾🇪

Dasha

Kia mau ki tou ukaipo Kia mau hoki ki tou whanau

Steven

I love to learn a new language

Etha

It's important to me to be one in a million by joining the Māori Language Movement, because I am proud of being a Māori, it's about the connection we as Māori have with the Taioa, whether in the Ngāhere or Moana. For me it's about sharing it and helping those that want to learn it and live it. . . . . Te Reo is not about money, or possession, or status. . . . it's about me, us, our children, mokopuna, it's a living changing spirit. . Rongo te Mauri, Mauri te Ora. . . . Listen to the Essence of Life. . . . . Life Essence is Well

Everlyne

Our mahi is all about creating authentic connections between people and place. Celebrating and supporting te reo Māori is a way for us to honour tangata whenua and gain a deeper understanding of the stories that weave the history, culture, and people of Aotearoa together.

Mahalee

Sharing Te Reo Maori is super important

Daniel

Because Te reo māori is who I am. I was in kohanga reo, Kura Kaupapa I love Te reo and want to normalise our native language

Arapeti

I teach Maori children and love them

Leskin

Noel

Me korero Māori tatou katoa nā te mea i te reo ake o Aotearoa. Ko te reo te taikura o te whakaao mārama.

Karen

It’s part of who I am as a New Zealander.

Claire

"Taonga tuku iho" is what drives me. I feel a sense of responsibility to contribute to the "passing on/down" of my culture, my heritage and my home.

Ripeka

It's important for me as a Māori to celebrate and help others to learn te reo

Benny

I am hournered to be a part of a fantastic organisation that inspires me everyday. Although my reo is limited "he iti" they help me learn more day by day through kupu hau o te ra, whakatauki and waiata.

Denise

Kia whakamana i te reo Māori

Tania

Ko te ora o te reo, me kōrerotia i ngā wa, ngā wāhi katoa. Ia te ra mō te wiki nei, mai te 12pm atu kia 12. 30pm, ka hui tahi tātou o LDHB mai te 'huitopa' (me ki ko te zui) He wananga mita o te reo, he hui waiata i te ipurangi, he kēmu wharewhare, he hui 'Maramataka' kia Matua Rereata Makiha.

Hinemarie

I take part for my tamariki.

Karina

Te reo Māori is one of the three languages of New Zealand and I would like to ensure that I am at least competent in te reo Māori (as well as NZ sign language) so that I can confidently and competently communicate with all New Zealanders.

Debra

Haylee

To grow reo

Amanda

Kia whakairapakari, kia eke noa tēnei waka hei kōrero, hei rongo hoki i Te Reo.

Cammy

It's a beautiful language and one that makes me feel proud of my tupuna. I feel more connected to my mum's turangawaewae, to my marae, my awa, my maunga and my whenua. It's cool to korero!

Michelle

Knowing the history of New Zealand lets me know the culture of its lands and their beliefs and their charm. Drawing is another part of Maori culture and my first introduction to Maori culture and their symbols that mean so much to them

Zoie

My hope is for my son, George, to grow up with te reo Māori in his life as it is his part of his heritage. My goal is to learn to read, write and speak it myself so I can encourage George with his own te reo journey. Ngā mihi!

Danielle

because Te reo maori is dying in aoetearoa AUE! !

lexie

Although Im tauiwi my children and grandchildren whakapapa Māori, its one of the most important things I can do to help them protect their birthright.

Ally

Love te reo even though mine is very basic. I especially love art and creating so we will be listening to some legends and creating art works as well as singing, dancing and incorporating te reo into everyday classroom life

Maree

It's important for me to take part in te wā tuku reo māori, as te reo gives me a point of connection to my tupuna. I am learning so that I can pass on the same opportunities to my mokopuna to connect with me when I am gone. I want to contribute to normalising te reo so everyone can be comfortable to kōrero māori, and we can be a truly bilingual and bicultural nation.

Jacinta

30 yrs teaching Te Reo Maori to students. Its time more people support the kaupapa

Venus

So I can learn more about te reo maori

Gillian

I believe every language should be spoken and saved , being born and raised in New Zealand , Aotearoa where both English and Maori are spoken should make me learn as much as I can about te reo Maori, as should others. Also I have friends and relatives that speak it , so it would be nice to respond in kind.

mike

I love sign language

Etha

Etha

The PWS at Tide would like to extend their te reo knowledge. A new word each day would be fabulous .

Iris

Kay

To integrate with the Māori culture and language

Jayne

I have always wanted to improve my reo and now seems an excellent time to focus on this

Sue

Lester

Te Reo connects us and allows us to belong together.

Kellie

Makere

It's super important for me to learn more reo and not be whakamā about trying to kōrero when I don't have my notes!

Vivian

Kei te ako ahau i te reo māori - and learning all the time. And I love to share what I am learning in class.

Aroha

I am from overseas and value the importance of Te Reo for this country. It is identity. I am a teacher of preschool children in NZ. If they hear te Reo, they’ll learn te Reo.

My children are - like many - part of an extended family. When they are with their dad they live with him and his partner - she is of Ngati Maniapoto descent and has extremely close links to her whanau and marae. My kids spend a lot of time with them and my son in particular is working on his te Reo. For me personally - I did a DNA test. My whole life - 39 yrs - my elderly family members have sworn black and blue that we are of British and Spanish heritage. The Spanish presumably to explain why we tan so well. So it was shocking to get dna results back that claim I am 30% British, 40% Serbian/Balkan/Russian/Germanic and. . . 30% Maori. To me its a beautiful thing - I'm even more connected to this beautiful country then I ever hoped - but for that older generation and the ones before - it was a shameful secret to keep and lie about. I tell my beautiful children everyday to live their truth - having a transgender child has taught us to always be proud of who we are but being able to teach our children more about our background in its own beautiful tongue is a gift.

Renee

A living language is what keeps a culture alive and thriving.

Lynette

Proudly Māori, I want to contribute to strengthening te reo Māori - in my kura, in my community, for myself, my kids and for my whānau. Kia kaha i te reo Māori, e te whānau!

Carol

Nā te mea, ko te reo Māori te reo o ōku tupuna!

Lynn

Connecting with Aotearoa & Tangata is my aim, reinstalling Hope into our communities is my passion. Mauri Tu, Mauri Ora.

Toli

because teo Maori is the most import thing in new Zealand

zibraan

I love to learn new language and its the culture

Etha

Te Reo is the first language of this land, and as a 4th generation New Zealander I feel like I'm a part of this land. . . it just makes sense to embrace the language as part of being a New Zealander.

MIchelle

Noel

To connect our tamariki to their identity. Wharewhare in Te Reo, a fun and interactive way to learn numbers.

Jaemie

To ensure that Te Reo is able to flourish in Aotearoa for all New Zealanders!

Maggie

Kei te hiahia ahau ki te ako ki te reo māori, nā te mea he aroha ki tō tātou reo! Engari, ko te mea nui, kia uru atu kia whakaoranga o tō tātou reo!

Laverne

becouse its a big deal for the world to now who the kaitiaki o tenei whenua o AOTEAROA

raukura

Te Reo is apart of the culture of our nation and the culture of our school, it’s who we are and so it would be wrong of us not too.

Jordy

Te reo Māori is a foundation stone of Aotearoa New Zealand. Understanding what it means to be "from" NZ means understanding the beauty, sacredness and importance of te reo.

Simon

"Continuous reinforcement and rediscovery of Indigenous language, cultural, and spiritual practices empowers people to move forward in their growth as proud Indigenous citizens. "

Nusiebah

We want to ensure that Te Reo Maori becomes part of everyday life in Aotearoa

Henare

Noel

Kia ora my name is Nikora (Nichole). I have recently learnt that my ancestor Charles Hartley was the first Pakeha to view the site of Papaioea - how beautiful it is (Palmerston North). He was a registered te Reo Maori translator and I believe was greatly respected amongst his Maori colleagues and neighbours. I am saddened that the heritage in our family of fluent te Reo Maori has been lost over the generations and hope to revive it in my whanau. Although I am settled in Tamaki Makaurau, I think it is quite special that I was born in Papaioea, connecting me to this ancestor that I am continuing to learn about and be inspired by. Kia Kaha te Reo Maori!

Nichole

Having recently connected with my Maaori heritage, Te Reo language and the culture is an important part of my identity which I am enjoying exploring and building my knowledge of.

Hannah

Ko te Reo Māori ko toku taonga tuku iho. Ko te taonga tuku iho mo āku ngā tamariki me āku ngā mokopuna katoa, ināianei me i ngā wā o muri. (The Maori language is my heritage. It is a legacy for all my children and grandchildren, now and in the future. )

David

Mostly, we love the sound of the language, so melodic! Being from the U. S. and knowing how poorly the indigenous peoples have been treated here, it's heartening to see some success. We're pitching in and doing our part!

Dina

To continue to celebrate Te Reo Maori and Te Ao Maori in New Zealand.

Heather

Having grown up in the deep south with Pakeha parents and having no connection to who I am as a Wahine Maori until I was 20 years old has made it really important to me to learn the things that I didnt know - despite looking so obviously Maori. The whakama of not knowing who I was, particularly when Maori asked "Ko wai to Iwi?" I love that all of us know Reo Maori words that are interspersed into normal everyday Kiwi language- kai, whenua, aroha, Kia Ora, to name a few. Its important that Te Reo Maori is normalised and becomes more a part of our everyday language as it draws more people in to learn to korero i te reo Maori me ona Tikanga. Kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui koutou!

Jan

Te Hiringa Hauora | Health Promotion Agency is joining the Māori Language moment because we take a 'life-course' approach to hauora. That means having a healthy start to life and staying healthy across your lifetime with the right support at the right time, instead of only getting help when you're sick. One thing that keeps people healthy and well is a positive connection to their identity, language and culture. We tautoko that by sharing this new lullaby 'I Te Tōnga o Te Rā' to settle pēpi, māmā and whoever puts baby down for a moe. It is sung in our nurturing, soothing reo as a koha for pēpi and whānau, to keep our reo alive in the home and it shows lots of tips to get baby ready for a safe, healthy sleep. Poipoiā te kākano, kia puāwai. He taonga tuku iho. Kia kaha te reo!

Pirimia

Kia kaha o Te Reo Māori!

Alanah

An opportunity to participate where others couldn’t, ensuring our indigenous language is never lost. Like the saying goes, "I hea koe i tangihanga o te riroriro? - where were you when the riroriro was singing?" Our time in now!

Rickie

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New Zealand

An opportunity to participate where others couldn’t, ensuring our indigenous language is never lost. Like the saying goes, "I hea koe i tangihanga o te riroriro? - where were you when the riroriro was singing?" Our time in now!