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'

By learning Te Reo and appreciating things Maori, this will enrich the lives of all New Zealanders

Roy

Tena Koutou When I as 7 years Utan our vegetable shop our Maori customer spoke Maori to us I replied to our customers exactly what they said, as I know we learn naughty words first Kaua e korero Pena me penei te tika We live in Aotearoa we should all be taught te reo Maori Te reo definitely has enhanced my career to advance our people’s matters Ka mihi ki oku whanau i poipoi nei ki aua Kia Ora Meng

Meng

I know my reo is in my DNA, I wear the face of my Tupuna. My babies wear their faces also. Reo was my first language, but it was taken from me, I was forbidden in the 80's to speak reo. I see it like a reactivation and reconnecting to who I truely am and who my babies are. Reo as we all know is not just kupu, its wider than that.

Jo

It's my birthright. My ancestors never thought that I wouldn't know the language/culture. . . I feel I owe it to them to know them in this special way.

Suzy

As an ex-ECE teacher I am well aware of the need to value our bicultural NZ history and to keep Te Reo Maori live so that this precious taonga is not lost. It is a beautiful language and try to keep using it as much as I can so that I don't lose what I have learnt.

Lisa

Te reo is an official language of this country. In order to fully participate in New Zealand society you cannot be ignorant of tikanga and the values which Māori ascribe to Aotearoa. I also believe that as a public servant I have an obligation to lift my skills in this area, so it will benefit my mahi as well.

John

It is important to understand our shared history of Aotearoa and the incremental negative phases that took place during the Colonisation. The suppression of Māori language and Culture is a shameful fact that contemporary New Zealanders are saddled with. Misconceptions of our early history abound. Just listen on radio talk back, to a host of uninformed people regurgitating disproven facts. I am a Pākeha and have been learning Te Reo Māori for 3 years. I am an advocate for people to learn NZ History and Te Reo Māori and thereby, be drawn into a sort of contextualisation of who and where they fit as Kiwis. Ngā mihi, Barry Dulieu.

Barry

I grew up in Christchurch in from the late 1960's and didn't learn te reo at home or school. Part of growing up in NZ was that we did enjoy aspects of te Ao Maori such as an annual Hangi beside the Ashley river and listening to Treaty issues on the radio which often spoke of pakeha and maori. By the 1990's I was living in Kenya , when I said I was from NZ, the locals would korero Maori back and I thought wow I really must go back to NZ and learn more about Te Ao Maori. On returning to NZ I lived in a place called Minginui and my children went to kohunga reo so learning reo was part of some happy memories that I am still appreciating in 2021 especially having a work place which is embracing and encouraging nga mea Maori.

Felicity

It is important for me to be taking part in this awesome kaupapa as I want to be eventually in a space of talking fluently. I am thinking ahead and in the now for my own children and mokopuna.

Te Puke Primary School

Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori. . .

Jean

There are many reasons I'm learning Te Reo Māori, but the main reason for me is about being part of our beautiful and unique nation. Its about connecting with and better understanding others. If we don't have a solid understanding of each other as a foundation, how can we ever move forward to build a prosperous Aotearoa NZ for us and for the next generation?

Leonie

It's like a part of my DNA is missing. Te Reo Māori makes us unique to the rest of the world :)

Dale-Maree

Because i have seen the terrible inequality for our Maori people who were here before my ancestors and i feel that we all should be learning Te Reo , the whole history aswell in our classrooms, no different than learning English in the classroom. I have studied for one year and feel i am only just beginning to learn, intending going back until i can actually speak this beautiful language but also understand what is being said and be able to answer back correctly Thank you Michelle

Michelle

Because I love Te Reo and I want to make sure my tamariki and Mokopuna hear it in their home

Heather

It's a recognised NZ language that ALL New Zealanders should embrace and learn .

Rose

I am learning te reo Māori because te reo is a taonga. I am a Wahine Pakeha with a Ngai Tahu husband, tamariki and mokopuna. I am also a kaiako. I am determined to become a fluent speaker to nurture and uplift our beautiful language. I believe we have a responsibility to uphold the language and to make sure it is the sound, meaning and everyday experience of living in Aotearoa. Kia kaha tātou Ki te kōrero Māori!

Katharine

I lost touch with my reo when I left school 10 years ago and in my whanau at the time not a lot of them know any te reo the reason why I have started my journey again is because I have been feeling whakama about going to my Marae an not being able to korero with my kaumatua I hope to regain that knowledge an to go home and represent my whanau one day soon

Jonelle

No Airangi ahau. E aroha ana ahau i Te Reo. Ko te Kohanga Reo me Te Ataarangi nga ara Reo maaau. Kia kaha ki te whakanuinga I te motu xxx

Marie

So many reasons. Te Ao Maori infuses New Zealand and makes us into who we are. We need to support and preserve it for our own identity and well being as well as to redress historical wrongs. Learning Te Reo Maori opens the heart and sharpens the brain, it causes conversations and ensures social change. It also models to our Tamariki and Mokopuna and teaches them so they too will have the benefit of Maori values and tikanga. I believe Aotearoa can be a model for the world on the way forward to combat deadly racism and understand and value diversity, one word at a time.

Carmel

Kia ora ko au ko te maunga ko te maunga ko au, I am one of many in my immediate whanau who has been learning the reo with it I have learnt my whakapapa on both side even thou I was bought up by just my father who past in 1996. My grandmother spoke it but it wasn't enough to imbrase it, my whangai mum (aunty) had a passion for the reo that I followed her footsteps I'm proud to speak our reo I'm not fluent but I am part of teaching our tamariki at kōhanga reo for the future.

Naumai

At high school it was my passion it was my reason to go to be apart of something, I become a mother and used what I had with my older tamariki but I felt like I’d lost it over the years. I went back to learn with Te Wananga o Aotearoa I’m now a Kaiawhina in a full immersion early childhood centre and 2 of my 3 youngest attend, speak and converse in Te reo Maori my baby is like a sponge soaking it all in so when she is a little older she too will be fluent. There are no words to describe how proud I am to be able to korero Te reo Maori in our community. He tino taonga Te reo Maori Te reo o ngà rangatira ngà típuna màtua ♥️

Hailey

Ānei ētahi kupu nā te waiata "Nei rā te kaupapa" e whakamārama pai ana i ōku whakaaro mō te reo. . . "He taonga tuku iho nō ngā tūpuna. Toku reo, toku ohooho mapihi maurea whakakaimarihi. Korerotia te reo i nga wa katoa kia kore e rite ki te moa". Nō reira, e tautoko ana ahau i tēnei kaupapa "Kia kaha te reo Māori".

Rangimarie

I am a Kiwi and Te Reo Māori is one of the national languages of my country: as a citizen I should know it. I am a teacher of Aotearoa New Zealand histories and cannot possibly understand the past of this land in English only. I have put my name to an agreement that says I will do my best by all students that I am assigned to teach and I can do this best by seeking to understand the cultures of this land. Culture can only be deeply, truly understood through language. I am old(er) and believe that it shouldn't be left to the younger generations to rectify all the issues created in the past. Even if I never get to speak or use te Reo Māori in my life or my career, I want to show my children that it matters to learn: "Be the change you want to see". I would love to see all Kiwis taught from a young age to be fluent in all our national languages. What an inclusive nation we would be. My family have been here for many generations, it's about bloody time we learned. I live on this land and it is an incredible joy to begin to understand its stories. These stories are held in trust by Reo Māori.

Maxine

To uphold the Treaty of Waitangi. Te Reo is the language of Aotearoa. I have two moko of Ngati Porou descent 😊

Mary

I am a 51 year old Pākehā wahine and I have been wanting to learn te reo for some time. It started because of my terrible pronunciation that was embarrassing. I just couldn’t get it right, so I would stop trying. I have two tamariki that grew up learning basic te reo at school and pronounce te reo correctly effortlessly. My generation didn’t get the learning like they did. My job in midwifery means I have relationships with Māori wāhine and their whānau. Knowing more and having some understanding of Māoritanga is a way to show respect and honour and hopefully can be empowering for them. Te reo is a beautiful, rich language. It offers such deep nuance with each word, that saying even one word can tell a story on its own. English doesn’t do that. To kōrero in te reo is my goal and I am slowly getting there. I understand better than I speak at the moment.

Fiona

To connect to my country and to support my daughters as they learn te reo as well. .

Jacqueline

You cannot share what you do not have, so i want to share a lot to nga tamariki by learning a lot.

Maria Gracia

It’s important to me because, I am Maori and proud to be. To help my children to carry on this ataahua language. And it is New Zealand’s first language, so let’s spread this whakaaro and get every other Maori to korero their language. Kiaora

Iritana

Because it’s important to keep this beautiful language alive, because I enjoy it, to connect with Maori culture and to be able to converse, mihi and sing.

Jo

I’m learning te reo Māori because it makes me feel connected to the motu & helps give me a kōrero. I love finding out more about both te reo & te ao Māori.

John

To support my own ako and to tautoko my work environment. The Purpose at mahi is to support all staff in their understanding and knowledge of Te Ao Māori by normalising cultural values, traditions and practices within our work environment.

Errol

I owe it to my tupuna to carry on our Reo and our Māoritanga. I also owe it to our babies so they don’t have to teach themselves as adults.

Ngawahine

I am learning Maori because it’s one of my cultures. I need to keep it and also need to experience it through my school to keep it

Raen

It's who we are and it's ours the reo the tikanga the knowledge is beautiful and as Maori we need to embrace who we are not 4 ourselves but for our tamaiti

Corina-Chey

It's who we are and it's ours the reo the tikanga the knowledge is beautiful and as Maori we need to embrace who we are not 4 ourselves but for our tamaiti

Corina-Chey

Learning Te Reo Maori, Speaking Te Reo Maori, Thinking in Te Ao Maori gives me purposes and focus to all I do in my life!

Wayne

I am a Dutch born Kiwi, arriving to this incredible country when I was 4 - when we first arrived, we were forced to drop our mother tongue to learn English. But the first 4 years was enough for me to hold on to the basics until my late teens when I went to search more for my roots. Time went on, life's highs and lows. . . milestones and challenges. . . . then when our own children started to learn Te Reo, and both became proficient with it. . . it put me to shame that I had never taken up the same journey. The last ten years I have become more confident with attempting basics, especially with pronounciation of place names and learning the why, how and because of so many things - historically and present. I am approaching 50 years in New Zealand, and have never felt so much aroha with identifying as a New Zealander - and am grateful for the chance to learn the most incredible language, block by block. . . . it is definitely a journey. . . .

Arda

I grew up learning different languages from other countries growing up in New Zealand. When I attended University in America I was introduced to their Te Reo Maori language class. Back then Te Reo wasn’t as prevalent as it is now in NZ. I thought if the University thinks it’s important to teach the native tongue of NZ and I’m from NZ then it must be important to learn. By taking the classes I realised years down the road it’ll come in handy, I just had a feeling it would come in handy. Fast forward to today and returning back to NZ after living abroad for years it’s amazing to see Te Reo Maori being revitalised and thriving when I lived through the time the language almost went extinct and I lived in the time the first Kohanga Reo was created. To me Te Reo is an important part of a living culture and it should be normalised in everything we do here in NZ because it is our native tongue.

Elizabeth

To support me in my mahi and my mokopuna .

Miraka

Ko Tōku Reo, Tōku Ohooho!

Emere

The movement to refocus on Te Reo Maori is very important to me. I believe native languages should be celebrated and encouraged to flourish. I am not Maori, but I have a respect for the Maori people and culture, and believe it would be detrimental if the Maori culture and Te Reo Maori was lost. I am doing my part to keep the language alive by learning Te Reo Maori. And I’m having a lot of fun learning!

Kathy

I want to learn Maori as its the language of our country. Literally, in the case of Maori placenames, which my Mother was able to translate, and occasionally this indicated a local legend. I also think it would be fun to hold conversations with fellow Kiwis overseas that no-one else could understand. Already its probably possible to go into a pub and call out "E tu! " thus locating fellow Kiwis when they automatically stand up!

Anna

First I started to learn haka and I realized that understanding the meanings behind Te Reo I'd understand myself, my motivations to study all about the Māoritanga and now I know: the more I speak Te Reo Māori the more connected I feel as one with friends of Aotearoa NZ.

Wagner

Going on 23 years ago my daughters’ dad, who is Rongowhakaata, enrolled her into Te Kohanga Reo & I was really against it because I believed that her being immersed in te reo Māori wouldn’t get her anywhere in life. In my defence, I was privately & publicly brought up to believe in this, since I’m a product of the 1960’s & am of Sāmoan descent. This was my perspective of te reo Māori until I saw how much my daughter was blossoming into a vibrant & confident young woman. I knew, in my manawa, that it was because of her connection with being schooled in Te Ao Māori. However, in her first year at Unitec she informed me that she believed she was losing her reo because she wasn’t using te reo on a daily basis, & I couldn’t even kōrero Māori. My manawa dropped because I didn’t want my daughter to start wilting. So, I said to her, “NOT ON MY WATCH! ”, & I took her hand & we enrolled at TWoA together. Unfortunately, she had to drop out because she couldn’t balance the workload of studying for her degree in Architecture & attending te reo Māori classes, but I continued on. As a parent I want my daughter to succeed in life & unlike before I totally believe that te reo Māori is the vehicle which she needs to get her there. Learning te reo Māori has enabled me to see the importance of Te Ao Māori, not just for my daughter, but for all of Aotearoa in general. Te reo Māori is a taonga to me! Not only do I want my daughter to retain her reo by me being able to kōrero Māori fluently with her on a daily basis, but I also want to go out in public & hear conversations being had in te reo Māori, all around me, like it was before the colonizers tried to strip Māori of their identity. Whāia te iti kahurangi ki te tūohu koe me he maunga teitei. Seek the treasure you value most dearly: if you bow your head, let it be to a lofty mountain.

Geneveive

As so much of our heritage has been hidden, so too was my knowledge of even being Maori. My Grandfather was shamed into hiding his Whakapapa and any mention of being Maori. I know a little, but I want to learn more. So I can go to my Marae and speak my mihi, pepeha with pride and passion. I also need to learn tikanga Maori so I am fully immersed into my culture, properly.

Benjamin

I want to find out mre about my ancestor's I want to know my Maori history where I'm from what it means and learn about my tribe

Emma

Te Reo is a beautiful, melodic language belonging to a culture that has much to teach us all.

Keri

Te Reo Maori language connect me to my roots, my culture and Identity. Embracing and preserving my own unique culture as an I-Kiribati. It is a privilege for me to support and take part of Te Reo Maori movement.

Aronna

Perhaps to inspire, enlighten and encourage someone else

Pare

Kei te Kura Kaupapa Māori tētahi o aku mokopuna, koira taku hiahia. Mēna ka taea e aku mokopuna, ka taea hoki au. 💖

Te Akonga

i te tau o iwa tekau ma rua i hoki mai ki Aotearoa ano . i tera wa i reira i te whenua o Engarangi me taku whakaaro a kei pirangi au ki te korero ki toku mama i te reo o nga tupuna ki te reo tuatahi o toku mama. i tera wa i haere au ki te kura o Te Ataarangi i Ngamotu o Taranaki. i te mutunga o te wananga kei te pai te korero me te mohiotanga . e kii atu toku whaea te reo o nga tupuna hei tino koakoa iaia. koia ra te timatanga o toku whaea ki te haere atu ki nga hui maori me eetehi mahi maori, ngaa mahi kaumatua, he tino whakakake ia i hapainga tona wairua me e tino whakakake au a iaia

Laurence

Kia ora, It's lovely to have a language which is home grown. A Pacific language with an itentity to Maori people that can carry their traditions. I am 70 this year so learning a language is harder then ever. Yet I have to do something as my Mokepuna are busy learning to speak Maori at the Kura.

Hugo

ko te aha te take i ako ahau i te reo maaori, naa te mea he tino taonga e kawe ake nei. anoo hoki ka noho au hei iho puumanawa hei haapai i ngaa mahi katoa moo te iwi maaori. meenaa kia mau ki toou uukaipoo, kia mau ki toou tuurangawaewae, kia mau ki toou reo rangatira me toou whaanau katahi kia whakapuaawai ai ngaa taangata katoa.

daniel

Learning Te Reo is an issue of respect for me, it shows that I respect nga tangata and nga motu o Aotearoa New Zealand, and that I am grateful for my place here.

Nick

My mother was from the generation who were strapped at school for speaking Maori so we were admonished from speaking any Maori learned from school at home. My mum has passed on now. As an older Maori woman I want to honour her by learning her native language. I have been trying for 4 years now, mostly on-line. I am the bridge that connects my children to my mother and grandfather. It's time now. . . I only wish my Mum was alive to see that it's OK now to be Maori and we don't have to be ashamed anymore.

Ruku

I identify as Maori and know I am Maori but feel incomplete and something missing until I am fluent in my own language. . . Sharon/Wellington

Sharon

I attended Waikato University in 1973 and acquired my Diploma of Secondary Teaching with Honourds and started Teachining at Forest View H S for 8 years and then venturd onto Tokoroa HS - Hamilton GHS - Otaki College - Waiopehu College - in the year 2000 I wrote "Te Arataki Manu Korero for TWOA and became the Tutor covering Thames -Hauraki /Waikato /Maniapoto / Whaingaroa/ Taumarunui / Mokau / I passed my Translation Degree (Dept of Maori Affairs) I passed my Masters Degree at TWORaukawa and wrote my Thesis totally in Maori- I als passed my PH. D at Waikato UNi written totally in Maori. My students for Te Arataki Manu Korero were 57 to 96 years age. .

Rovina

Te reo Māori is such a beautiful language and I believe it should be used more and more here in Aotearoa.

Simon

I started learning Te Reo to be included. My husband and children know how to korero in Te Reo Maori and they like to talk about me in front of my face. Now I know more about what they're saying! In my mahi I want to connect to people and being able to speak Te Reo helps. Aswell as learning Te Reo I've been able to connect through whakapapa and learn purakau which is filling my wairua.

Nicola

Kei te ako ahau i korero maori. He kākano ahau. I am the seed for my whānau - in the early days of learning my heritage and the language of my tipuna, so I can pass the knowledge onto my tamariki, to pass down to my mokopuna.

Jamilah

It’s important to me as it’s my husband’s heritage and the culture of our country. It’s such a beautiful language too and one that if we don’t treasure it, it will be lost.

Alice

My biggest drive is absolutely my children, mokopuna and future generations. I also want to be a part of revitalising our language, ensuring it doesn't die. Our language is the doorway to te ao Māori.

Haven

Because it's a beautiful language that makes Aotearoa unique. You can't get this anywhere else. It's our identity as Kiwis. As an educator, I feel we have a responsibility to keep our language alive and normalize it in every aspect of our mahi. It will be tragic if we were to go backwards and lose our original language of Aotearoa.

Toa

I am learning Te Reo because it connects me to my culture. Ultimately learning Te Reo will allow me to understand and communicate with other Te Reo speakers. It is important to take part now so that the momentum to embed Te Reo in all aspects of NZ society succeeds.

Sharon

I did it to save my wairua . . . . .

Ngaio

Well I came from home where my mum and dad and their siblings all spoken te reo maori but when I was growing up it wasn't taught because for my folks it was not going to land that job or be used at school or buy that house so it wasn't spoken I can understand te reo learnt quickly when folks didn't want us to know lol now in my 50s I so wanna speak and be confident in everyway so my journey begins

Fiona

I didn't realise until I got older that I was missing part of the essence of my being māori ie; te reo māori. This was due to it being taken away from my parents, which then had a flow on effect on myself and my tamariki. My why is so I can take back what was deliberately taken away from me as my birth right. It will enhance my own being as māori.

Maria

te reo Maori is so beautiful, it just cannot be lost, it is so important that it flourishes and needs to continue to be taught in all our schools, it is part of our heritage. I did a 3 year course at our local whanaunga and when I graduated I made a promise to promote te reo where and whenever I could. My son and granddaughter have Maori heritage and it’s very important to me to encourage them in learning te reo.

Cheryl

I am a NZer who has recently returned home having lived in London for 24 years. I have moved to Turanganui a kiwa and feel that learning te reo will help me form a meaningful connection with the community I have chosen to serve.

Katrina

I want to learn the language of the people of new Zealand I have many friends that have taken me in as part of their whanau and I will and I would like to learn the language and would like to know if there is anywhere in palmerston north that I could do a course in Maori language.

Wayne

Te Reo is a big part of my story and I want to actively tell my story in the language of my story. It opens a doorway to another world that is magical, majestic & full of love.

Ruihana

I was not born or raised in New Zealand but now that I am making a home here it is really important for me to learn about New Zealand and what makes it so unique. Te Reo Māori is an official language, I feel like everyone should know it. That also means people like me who choose New Zealand as their home. For me it is a sign of respect for the unique history of this country. But also, the language is absolutely beautiful, it is music to my ears!

Judith

I want to learn the language of the people of new Zealand I have many friends that have taken me in as part of their whanau and I will and I would like to learn the language and would like to know if there is anywhere in palmerston north that I could do a course in Maori language.

Wayne

My why is my children. I am not māori but te reo māori is one of our official languages in our country and I think it’s important to recognise this and celebrate it too. It’s a beautiful language and unless we use it, it’ll die out and there goes our history and identity.

Laura

Whakapapa. Even as a pākehā with no tūpuna Māori, learning the reo continues to give me kaupapa that connect me with my tūpuna and the short, precious history we have here in Aotearoa

Joseph

First and foremost I enjoy it, simple. I also enjoy being part of what I think is a growing revival of te reo. Its also challenging

Graeme

To show respect and receive respect. NZ is my birth place therefore knowing its indigenous language makes me feel less of an imposter.

kiya

Learning to speak, understand & appreciate Te reo Māori is important to me because I have a daughter & I want to be able to help support, shape & guide her Te Reo Journey. I went to a kura kaupapa and when I transitioned to a English taught school I struggled to adapt and was bullied by my peers. I stoped wanting to speak Te Reo Māori as a result. Years later as an adult I realised my language was my Rongoa. I am committed to this moment because a spoken language is a living language, Te Reo Māori is a beautiful language to hear & it is apart of our DNA.

Sandra

Long story short: because I live in Aotearoa & I love it here. . . .

Rachel

I joined the Maori language movement because I love my culture and wanted to keep it alive even more so because my father was not allowed to speak it when he was young. We live in Australia and I want to share it with my Whanau.

Brooke

7months ago my small young family moved away from our hometown and families. it was the hardest and craziest thing we had done. we were breaking a generation strong cycle of negative living. We started life isolated in a whole new region 12 hours from home. and almost by accident we started our te reo maori journey when we enrolled our babies in the nearby full emmersion kohanga reo. we had no choice but to learn and use what we knew in te reo maori. it was really unexpected but our world rapidly started to change. we had no idea that te reo maori and te ao maori would heal us and improve our lives. we are kinder people, we hold higher standards for ourself and have started to succeed and accomplish stuff that we actually can’t believe we’re doing. learning te reo maori was such an unexpected journey for our whanau to take on but it has been the most giving and healing thing for our family. and it’s spreading to the family we left behind and holding us together positively. our answer for healing and growing found us through te reo maori. straight up we have turned our life’s around because we chose to live in te ao maori and learn te reo maori. i guess that’s our ‘why’ because our life is better off with te reo maori as our main language. this te reo maori promotion thing is important cause there’s familys like ours out there who need the type of healing we are getting!

Bianca

Te reo Maori is impossible to separate from who & what I am. I'm proud to claim the language as part of Aotearoa's tangata whenua & our unique identity in the world. Because te reo is precious I'm obliged to learn it, use it & share it as best I can so it doesn't die.

Tania

Being able to korero in Te Reo Maori helps to answer questions around the culture, customs, whakapapa links and give more understanding to what makes me who I am.

Aaron

Even as ngāti Pākeha o Aotearoa, te Ao Māori forms part of my being. I want to explore and connect with the Māori worldview, while righting the wrongs of the past in any capacity I can.

Naomi

I’ve always been incredibly interested in the culture and language itself! I’m currently doing a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Māori, so I feel it’s important to surround myself with it as much as possible! So I’m able to become more comfortable.

Violet

For my Tamariki and future Mokopuna &a responsibility to Tupuna for their battles in leaving Te Reo Māori for us 🌀

Gina

I am a proud daughter sister aunty mum and nan Maori wahinetoa who thru my heritage is my identity. . . Identity is key and of Maori decendant is beyond words. We are a strong loving caring spiritual race. . . I don't need to whakapapa back because I am who I am MAORI AND PROUD! ! !

Davina

I started Te reo Māori in 4th form when it was introduced as a subject at high school - I passed school C Māori but there wasn’t an opportunity to continue post school as most were English speakers only. I believe Māori should be compulsory in schools in NZ. I’ve seen my bi-lingual friend’s children go on to do great things through Te Reo and kapahaka and the principles of Te Reo and Te Ao Māori are principles we can all learn from. I’m now left behind in my Te reo Māori abilities and am usually emersed in Te reo on return home to friends. Therefore, I would like to be more proactive and engaging and have a better understanding all round for my own knowledge and benefit to feel confident speaking official language of Aotearoa that was stolen and help towards restoration and participation.

Jody

Kia ora! I've wanted to learn te reo Maori for years, and on the day of the Covid lockdown I went out and bought Scotty Morrison's 8 'Maori Made Easy' books. Maori made easy - yeah, right! (Great books though. ) A year on I'm still learning, doing a bit every day, & I love it. I feel it's opened up new worlds for me, and it makes me feel, as a Pakeha. so much more connected to te ao Maori and the amazing place we live. I'm hooked. Kia kaha te reo Maori! Jill

Jill

Learning te reo Maori has been important for me since I moved here from England 14 years ago. As a teacher I wanted to ensure that my students were not disadvantaged because their teacher was not from New Zealand. I also wanted to ensure that my own children had as much opportunity to learn as possible. I consider it to be a huge privilege to be able to participate and learn Maori culture and the beautiful language that is so much more than words. I have learned so much about tikanga and kawa and continue to be inspired and amazed by the beauty of Maori culture. I am always learning, every day. It is my small way of showing my gratitude to live here in Aotearoa and honour those who came before. Tihei mauri ora!

Kararaina

Te Reo is important to me because it is the heart of Maori culture. It is taonga. I want to show respect and teach our future generations that it is a part of all of us. It is our identity and our uniqueness.

Anne

Ko Te Reo i te arero o aku tipuna. Kei te pirangi noho awau ki roto o ratou hu. Koira te ara o taku ohooho.

For whanau and the wider community. To encourage Te Ao Maori participation and be part of the necessary movement towards greater and deeper bi-cultural engagement in NZ.

Kat

It helps connect me to my whanau, whenua and too all who call themselves kiwis. I also find so much comfort in our stories and myths and legends that are passed down through generations and the values they teach me and my tamariki.

Anna

I love te reo as a language and see it is as a taonga we need to keep alive and thriving. It is also our responsibility according to our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi - the sacred agreement between Tangata whenua and the crown/colonisers. I believe that our culture/country will be so much the richer for embracing Te Ao Maori into a way of being for all people who live here.

Kaye

As a Kiwi of colonial descent over the last 10 years I have been learning about our true history and listening to Tangata Whenua through words spoken and written. I have grieved deeply over parts of our history, the way the Treaty has not been honoured, and the injustice and poverty I see. My racist attitudes have been replaced by a deep love for Tangata Whenua. I deeply desire a future for NZ where we work in partnership. I pray and work for this in my community. I have begun learning Te Reo and am attending a local class in my community. Learning a new language at 83 is not easy but I am making slow progress. 10 days ago I attended the Tangi for a friend and stayed on her Marae. It was a wonderful experience and I sensed a deep unity with her whanau who welcomed us so warmly.

Marjorie

Firstly, because it is a taonga - a very special and unique treasure in Aotearoa that has equal status to te reo Pakeha. Secondly, I want to keep up with the te reo everywhere - and if I don't learn some te reo, I'll be left behind!

Janet

My why is I love the Māori way of life I love the connection to the land. I love the language, I love learning everything about māori. I want to inspire other people to learn about it twp

Carley

Ataahua kori. Putting our Reo out there can only mean a good thing. Kai pai Whanau.

Angus

Kia ora e te whānau nui o Te Reo. He karahehe Te Reo, e ora nei ki te aroha o tātou kātoa. Na kātou ngā kaitiaki o tenei karahehe. Te Reo is a animal that lives through our love and dedication to keep it growing and healthy. It can’t survive on a bookshelf or on screens. Te Reo is a plant in our garden that needs nurturing, if possible, on a daily basis. One word spoken is a drop of water. He mea nui. We are the guardians.

Vanessa

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Kia ora e te whānau nui o Te Reo. He karahehe Te Reo, e ora nei ki te aroha o tātou kātoa. Na kātou ngā kaitiaki o tenei karahehe. Te Reo is a animal that lives through our love and dedication to keep it growing and healthy. It can’t survive on a bookshelf or on screens. Te Reo is a plant in our garden that needs nurturing, if possible, on a daily basis. One word spoken is a drop of water. He mea nui. We are the guardians.