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'

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

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 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

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

Because Te Reo Māori is the language of this land and it’s first people. I am pākehā, born here in Aotearoa and I call this land my home. I therefore want to know her language to connect to her. I find my life is enriched by learning te reo and I also feel it is all of our duty to speak the precious language it to keep it alive.

Sarah

My why in Maoridom is everything. . . My very existence has always been about who I am and where I fit in this world. . . Sadly I learnt my Reo in high school/ tertiary studies which has fallen off over the years. Now in the latter part of my life, we speak and encourage it daily in my mahi and home. I am a primary school teacher and encourage our students to embrace their native language and make it part of who they are. As am I.

Isabel

I am learning Te Reo because I want it to be a part of my every day language and I want to increase my understanding of it. It is important to me because it is the indigenous language of our country, it is beautiful, and it is critical in keeping Maori culture alive. I am proud that Maori and Maori culture are unique to Aotearoa and proud that such a beautiful language is an important part of that.

Celine

I live in Australia but I grew up in Panama Road, Otahuhu and attended Otahuhu College - 40+ years ago. The friends (whanau) in my life at that time have always welcomed me home with open arms and still include me in family celebrations. At that time very few of my friends spoke the Maori language. What a pleasure to see te reo Maori being honoured, respected and taught to all New Zealanders.

Anna

I am raro and Māori. I need learn more about te reo Māori.

Judy

Our reo helps define us, like in every culture. I love being Maori Samoan. My goal is to become a Te reo teacher, also try learn Samoan, and teach my 5 beautiful children who we are and where we come from to help build their self confidence.

Fuimaono

I am Māori, Māori is me, I need to do this not just for me but for my tamariki, my moko & for the next generation to come after I have left the world of the living. Te Reo Māori is who I am it is ours & it is part of me & I feel if I do not play my part then it will be in danger of been lost. I also feel that it is a beautiful language that makes be unique.

Georgina

I am learning Te Reo because as a teacher, I want to model to my students that learning their own language/identity and embracing others’ is important! As a NZ citizen, it’s part of our national identity. I would love to be able to converse in the supermarkets, sporting tournaments, kura, marae, etc in Te Reo and make this a norm. How lovely would it be to have the whole country mindfully doing that!

Justin

Te Reo is the language of Aotearoa. Maori ( sorry don’t know how to do macrons with my phone) are our tangata whenua. We need to elevate our tangata whenua And our reo to its rightful forefront place. Kia Ora

Marilyn

Because I am of maori decent and I need/want to know my own culture. I need my children to know who they are also.

Aroha

Kia ora. I was brought up mainstream. My father's mantra. "Get an education. Good job and travel. Mum and dad were brought up in a community where reo was spoken ia ra ia ra. I went to TWA to learn te reo. I learnt quickly and more from my two year old moko. I went to Te Atarangi in 1981 and followed a couple of other courses. 1999 I studied Maori and Media studies at Massey. Group participation was great. Finally at the WA the Reo l had accumulated finally made sense. He tino miharo. Watching my son totally immersed in reo and mahi plus 6 moko learning reo, oldest at 21yrs who taught Nani more kupu. Ko te Reo te mauri o Te Mana Maori. Mauri Ora.

Geneva

'Ko taku reo taku ohooho, ko taku reo taku mapihi mauria'. Te reo Māori is a part of my identity, a connection to my tupuna and it helps me to know who I am and what my place is in this world. He toanga tuku iho, he hononga ki te ao Māori, ki te taiao, ki tōku turangawaewae hoki.

Emily

Taha wairua! Two wai combine to form my spirit, just as two people korero to make a connection. Live, grow, connect, such as life.

Abby

I grew up in Northland in the 1950s and 60s in a Pakeha family. We were taught Maori waiata and action waiata at school and loved it but didn't know what what I was singing about which was frustrating. I learned years later it was the educational law - no Maori language was tolerated or taught. I am 4th generation NZer and felt angry my 2nd language had been deprived from me. Numerous attempts to learn have been overtaken by life but I am still proud of my 2nd language and love hearing it all around me now.

Ruth

Kia Ora . I feel a strong connection with Te Ao Maori including Te Reo , kapahaka, etc . I am a full blooded pakeha but grew up in Wairoa , HB. My first kaiako was Mrs Hana Mita from Nuhaka - she was very special to me. I just feel a strong connection due to my amazing upbringing. I was the only pakeha in my Maori class at wairoa college and also studied Maori and Canterbury ( my major was engineering) . I have never quite grasped Te Reo . . I feel it is time. My dream is to speak fluent Te Reo with my mokopuna ( who are not born yet).

Jane

I'm learning Te Reo as it is the language of my country. I feel tremendously fortunate to have Maori ancestry and I want to honor my Tupuna by speaking about them in their language.

Lynette

I want to be part of the movement to make te reo Maori heard and understood as a normal part of living in New Zealand.

Sam

Tena koutou. Tino hiakai ahau ki te ako, ki te kõrero te reo Māori na te mea he Māori ahau. E hiahia ana ahau ki te korero tõku reo Rangatira, he tāonga no o tātou Tupuna mo tātou i ēnei rā. No reira kia mau ki tõ tātou reo Māori me õna tikanga papai.

Bronwyn-Ann

It is important to me because it is a part of my identity, my whenua, my tūpuna, my tamariki and our future.

Kimberly

I am not from New Zealand but I came 2 years ago and fell in love with place and and people. I met a beautiful wahine in a hostel who told me how to pronounce words as i did not know how to say things and didnt want to offend. She taught me lots about her culture. It stayed with me and I think about New Zealand and te reo Māori alot. I decided to learn more so next time i come back i can speak more confidently.

Lucy

My parents emigrated here with me in the 80s. I grew up being told “ don’t play with the Maori kids”. I always felt I had to chose between doing what my parents wanted and what I felt was right. Eventually I grew up and started my own life. My daughters need to know the history of the country we call home. I am proud to finally stand up and call my parents out on their racism. Most of all I hope my daughters will grow up to be better, more caring, compassionate wahine who are more culturally located than I was. Let’s improve with every generation. Is it really such an effort to learn a new language and culture? Is learning our nations culture and history a detriment? NO ! ! Does learning the true history of aotearoa and it’s people help us all to better people in the future? YES ! Ko te ahua a turanga . . taku mounga, ko mangitanoka toku awa, ko rathnow toku hapu, ko Rose toku ingoa. Tena koutou tena koutou tena koutou katoa. ( please excuse the lack of macrons and the spelling. )

Rosemary

As Rosie Remmerswaal said, "Kāore ōku toto Māori, engari ko Aotearoa te whenua i whakatipu mai i a au" - this is my home, this is where I belong, and I want Te Reo Māori to remain a part of my life for as long as I live it.

Nat

I wrote this on a facebook site (about the Treaty and Bible which seeks to discuss and resolve issues): Been to two funerals in the last two days, of pakeha men. . . Both of them had input from te reo and tikanga, one had a laying in on the local marae, and a haka (ka mate) in front of the coffin as it was taken out. The other had a proverb in Māori with the explanation, not translation (he tangata) and it felt comfortable with everyone, good and right. . . I am encouraged and think we are changing as nation, slowly maybe, but it is happening! I am glad I am starting to pick up on te reo, but want to do more, to understand more, so am attending an online class next week - via Zoom! No language can be learnt from a dictionary!

Deb

I'm maori so want to learn my language to understand my tipuna and the history of aotearoa.

Laura

It is fundamental to who we are

Catherine

I am bicultural Maori and European. When my father was killed I lost a lot of my connection to Te Ao Maori and my maori side of my whanau. Learning Te Reo Maori is a way I can connect to my Whakapapa and understand a part of who I am. I am bicultural but not a person of colour, and it has bene hard for me to connect with all parts of who I am. To reconnect to a unique part of my Whakapapa and Tipuna is why I have been on this journey to learn the reo and tikanga of my ancestors.

Jacob

I really want to learn correct pronunciation and usage. Our family is multiracial, we are already aware of saying people's names correctly, now want to extend our knowledge.

Christine

So I can share what my children are learning at school and daycare.

Erin

Whilst I don't think that I whakapapa Māori, by children do through their fathers. I also believe that te reo is the language of our country and should be celebrated, learnt and cherished by us all. Learning te reo means so much to me, it has not only opened up more pathways for my tamariki and I but has also helped me find myself and given me the courage to learn about where my ancestors came from, and even start learning another new language, Gàidhlig (Scots Gaelic), another language almost lost. I encourage all people from Aotearoa to learn. It is important, and it may just help you learn more about yourself too

Terijoy

I take part because of my obligations for reconciliation under Te Tiriti o Waitangi. My ancestors’ failure to uphold Te Tiriti resulted in loss of language. As their uri, I have a responsibility to support spaces which endorse and celebrate that which was lost. They helped to constrain te reo, but I am an accomplice in it’s liberation.

Olivia

I think it is important for us all to have a basic understanding of Te Reo

Deborah

Jane

My why is my whanau - I continue to try to include maori in my "everyday" as I feel it links me to where I have come from and my tipuna that have gone before me. It is important for me to show my children that we should always embrace everything that makes us who we are, and our language that is uniquely ours. The Māori language movement is not only about us as individuals but who we are as a people, tangata whenua. A wairua that brings our people closer and be more connected.

Amanda

I grew up in Auckland not surrounded by the reo. It was something that always interested me but I never put myself in a position to learn. I ended up living in Italy for 17 year where I became fluent in the language. We have since returned home with our children and I have started my journey to learn. I have been learning for 3 year.

Rima

Tēnā koutou, I whānau mai au i tēnei whenua. Ki ōku nei whakaaro, me ako tātou katoa o Aotearoa nei i te reo o tēnei whenua! Nō Tuhoe, nō Whakatōhea ōku Tamariki. Kua noho au i te rohe o Ngāti Tuwharetoa no te nuinga o tōku oranga. He pouako hoki ahau.

Beth

It is important to me to learn Te Reo Māori because I would love to be able to understand it

Gresha

Te reo Māori is unique and precious and I love learning how to pronounce it as best I can with others in my class at NMIT in Nelson where our most amazing kaiako guides us.

Anna

Teaching and learning te reo Māori is important because our vision is that all children will grow up strong in their identity, language and culture. It is part of our heritage and culture in Aotearoa.

Nikki

Kia ora, my answer is simple. . Its to keep me connected to My Kuia, she only spoke Te Reo up until she passed. I miss her warm smile, her cuddles and her aroha everyday. When I return to her, I will be able to have a korero to her in Te Reo and she will know how much I missed her.

Kimihanga

Kia ora. I am a migrant from South Est England. I didin't come to Aotearoa New Zealand to be in Little England. Consequently I value the diversity of my new home. Te Reo Māori is a key element in this. In my view, its polite and honourable to be able to speak the language of any place, especially that you want to call home. I'm not fluent but I'm trying.

Marty

For me, being a New Zealander means knowing, understanding and respecting our past. Now, more than ever, I feel that means growing my understanding of te ao Māori, te reo and tikanga Māori, as well as my other forebears. There is so much hidden richness and beauty that I didn’t acknowledge until starting this journey, but already when I see a pou, a tukutuku panel or a rangatira wahine with a Moko Kauae, I feel I’m better able to see all that it means, not just the surface.

Geoff

I think learning te reo is a positive step towards healing the harm that has occurred in our history.

Rose

I want to learn more the REO Māori Language

Jessica TeAroha

I started because I'd lived overseas and learned another language fluently and it seemed like a good idea to learn the language of Aotearoa too. I carried on because I began to understand what a huge injustice had been done to Māori people in depriving them of their language and I wanted to do my tiny, tiny bit toward helping it to thrive again. Eight years on I'm still learning for both those reasons but mostly because this Reo is so rich and beautiful and fascinating and the more I get into it the more I really LOVE it. Ka ako tonu ahau - ake, ake ake! - Adrienne

Adrienne

I started my reo journey so that when the time comes I will be able to teach my mokopuna

Leanne

For myself and for my moko

Suzi

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Auckland

For myself and for my moko