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'm a new arrival to NZ from England. I'm aware that if I was to have moved almost anywhere in the world, I dcould not do so without knowledge and awareness of the indigenous culture, heritage and history of the country. I am not looking to benefit from generations of cultural harm and colonization that means I can avoid having to learn te reo Maori, but hope to be able to join the cohesive culture of the country by making efforts to experience and respect Maori culture and language.

Tasneem

Maori is a language that deserves to be celebrated - not forgotten, so by doing my part I am celebrating the unique language in whatever why I can.

Tasmin

Being Maori I would like to think that by speaking what little I know, here and there, that I am helping to get our Reo out in whatever space I am in.

Tashiana

Beautiful native language to my home country. It's unique and is and sounds beautiful and it should be celebrated and learnt

Taryn

As a maori this is fundamentally to feeling connected to my cultural identity and keeping my wairua full

Taria

I have a bicultural family. My husband is Maori and so are my children. I want them to grow up being proud of their culture, and by growing my knowledge it can help them with their journey.

Tara

I want to take part because I want to honour our heritage in New Zealand and be the role model I want others to be.

Tara
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To continue my quest to appreciate my country and dive further into my education on Te Reo and Maori culture.

Katrina

To give thanks and honour the people and language

Tanya

Its a beautiful language its part of who I am it should be compulsory

Tania

It’s a beautiful language for all NZer’s to celebrate. Whilst I’m still learning to speak it, I focus on ensuring that my pronunciation is correct as I believe it is disrespectful to mispronounce the words. I encourage others to do this too by setting a good example.

Tania

For myself, for my children and for NZ

Tania

Our people are still being suppressed today . . . . as we see in the news. . . To our culture , people, our way of life. . . stays ALIVE! . Most of all. . . My mokos!

Tania

I am a New Zealander and all of us need to understand and include Te Reo and and tikanga Maori in our lives.

Tania

So I know some simple greetings. I did take a online beginner course years ago but I have since suffered a brain injury.

Tania

It's our Mother language here in Aotearoa. I'm Sāmoan myself but my wife and kids are Māori/half so we need to teach them to always stand proud in their indigenous bloodline of their Tūpuna.

Tampy

Because it’s our culture, our heritage and so unique to this country and to keep it alive and thriving we need to nurture it

Tamara

He taonga tuku iho. Hei whakarauora te reo me ōna tikanga, hei kaihapai mo te kaupapa, ā, hei tauira mo tōku whānau.

Taina

I am a maori wahine and I want to incorporate my culture and reo more into my everyday life and I think this is a great start

Taigen

As an immigrant to New Zealand, I want to show respect to the tangata whenua who have welcomed me onto the land

Tabitha

This is who we are not only as Maori, but Aotearoa as a whole.

Tūmanako

It’s the indigenous language where I live, and a beautiful language. There are some things that don’t translate exactly (like manaakitanga) and it’s so good to have both languages.

Sylvia

Taking part because the more familiar Māori becomes in the workplace, the more confident New Zealanders will become in experimenting, learning and embedding te reo in their daily lives over time.

Suzie

Want to try to speak abit of te reo. . to and with my mokopunia . . I have 2 maori/tongan. and 2 Maori/nuieian mokopunia. . and 2 pakaha. .

Suzanne

I feel we all have the responsibility to keep this beautiful language alive.

Susan

I've never been taught my mother tongue or been encouraged to learn it, so it is wonderful to see Te reo Maori being promoted & revived.

Suri

Keeping the māori language thriving and alive is important. I can’t stress enough how important the language is.

Sunni

To recognise our tangata whenua and encourage young children to value to Te Reo Maori.

Sue

we need to practise what we preach when we claim to be a nation that has more than one language- teo reo is part of our everyday life it is everywhere we look and live and it deserves the respect of speaking and knowing it correctly and hearing it will build our nation to the best living organism it can become. It is something that unites people from everywhere on earth who visit or live in Aoteraroa, it is our history our culture and our future

sue

Maori language (Te Reo) is the language of the indigenous people of our nation. . . Therefore as a New Zealander, i need to learn more so I can gain a deeper understanding into this beautiful and noble culture.

Sue

I want to acknowledge the importance of the maori people.

Sue

It is important to recognise the official languages of NZ

Sue

Te Reo Maori is a foundational language of Aotearoa NZ, in fact, English has never become an official language by act of Parliament, only NZSL and TRM. It's up to all of us to join in, learn, grow, be challenged, and keep reo alive.

Suanna

It's important to keep Te Reo growing otherwise it will die. As more and more Kaiako & Speakers move on the new need to learn.

Stuart

Te reo is the grassroots of this country and it must continue to be passed down through the generations. Te reo should be taught in all schools, be present in all official names of New Zealand towns/cities/areas, should be on all signs, on all food produce packaging and in shops, on buses and other transport. Most definitely in more picture books! ! As a person who identifies within the white ethnic group, I feel that there is certainly not enough being done in all aspects - not just active sharing of te reo. . . and all of these must-do implementations listed above should not only be more prominent in our communities, but replace the English versions. Māori culture and māori people are beautiful, I hope they know that!

Stevie

I like te reo, always had. just time slipped away.

Stevie

Im a proud Maori myself, so I try and take as much part of alot of things that do with us "Maori". ❤️

Stevie

To be a part of and show support for the total "normalisation" of te reo usage in Aeotearoa New Zealand.

Jil

Ko te reo Māori te reo tuatahi o enei motu. Nō reira Kia kōrero ahau.

Stephen

As an immigrant, I feel that it is vital to learn some Te Reo.

Stephanie

I find Te Reo Maori a beautiful language and very fun to learn. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to learn Te Reo, through waitata, tuhituhi, pānui and noho marae and it connects me to my whakapapa and I am learning more about myself and Aotearoa.

Stephanie

As I am new to New Zealand and a teacher, I am trying to learn as much as I can as fast as I can.

Stephane

Our language is dying. More and more of our people aren’t learning their whakapapa, tikanga or reo. This is so important especially for our tamariki.

Starrett

Because we should all know where our country originated from, and everything that encompasses - language, culture, way of life, myths and legends. It is important to preserve Maori culture as it is our history.

Stacey

Because my spoken reo needs some word and every time I do speak my confidence doesnt allow the words to come from my mouth.

Stacey

We can't lose the language. It's part or Māori culture and we should all take some responsibility to see both (and therefore the people) thrive

Sophien

Te Wiki o te reo Māori is an opportunity for concentrated celebration, promotion and encouragement of te reo Māori across NZ – we want to be part of that! By incorporating even just a little bit of te reo (e. g. a ‘Kia ora! ’) during this week, our agency can contribute to the revitalisation of te reo Māori in Aotearoa. Te Wiki o te reo Māori is a fun and engaging way to introduce and begin our VMLY&R te ao Māori journey.

Sophie

I am pakeha and believe that we all have a part to play in the decolonisation of aotearoa, and making the effort to learn and use te reo every day is a big part of that.

Sophie

Since having my own children, I've wantedto learn te reo, having never had the chance at school. I hope that future generations of NZ speak te reo with joy and ease. I'm starting on my own journey with podcasts while I wait for spaces to open up in a local class.

Sophie

I am Sophia, 7 years old. It is important to practice Maori language as I am still learning.

Sophia

Te Reo Māori is a beautiful language and one of our national languages. As a 46 year old Pakeha women growing up in Aotearoa I did not have accessible opportunities to learn and celebrate te reo so I am embracing them now! Kia kaha te reo Māori!

Sophia

I want to acknowledge my grandparents who weren't able to speak Te Reo or learn because of the education system when they were growing up. I also want to learn and share more about my identity, and to learn the language that is part of it.

Sophia

My own indigeniety was taken away from our family (in the USA). I will do all I can to ensure this does not happen here!

Sonya

We want to have an authentic relationship with Te Ao Maori and this extends into how we are using language and traditions within our centre environment, our whanau and tamariki and our community.

Tash

It's important as it is NZ official language and all the New Zealanders should at least have basic knowledge of it.

Sonika

I think te reo is a beautiful language which has important cultural value. I am not Maori but my whanau whakapapa to Ngati Porou and I have a small grandson whose whanau are from Northland . He speaks reo beautifully and it is a great seeker of knowledge

Sonia

To help promote the importance of te reo māori being learnt/taught to preserve the language.

Sonia

To keep the language alive for the future of Aotearoa

Sofia

I think it’s very important to understand and acknowledge the language that is our whenua. We are the people of the land and this is our home, having our own language is a beautiful thing. I am Māori, I may not speak fluently in te reo but I am learning. Let’s not become ignorant but educate ourselves.

Skye

I think it's so important as a māori in Aotearoa to be part of what makes us unique. I'm on my reo learning journey, and I'm on this journey because I want to be fluent in the reo in years to come.

Skella

To me it is important that indigenious languages are recognised and valued. Te reo Maori is unique to New Zealand and is a taonga that must be nutured for it grow and take its place as an offical language in New Zealand.

Sinead

Because te reo is uniquely Aotearoa/NZ and needs to become standard throughout the land. Initiatives like this are helping.

Simon

It is part of my family, and it is something that we can't let be lost over time.

Sienna

Its important to celebrate the cultural diversity that exists in our beautiful country New Zealand. its nice to share the love and learn and respect other cultures.

Shraddha

To be a true new Zealander I must be able to speak and understand some Maori

Shona

I believe that we need to protect and foster Te reo Maori as language is culture, and this is our culture. Te reo Maori is a taonga for Aotearoa.

Shona

Helps me grow as learners/learning te reo also enhances my self-esteem.

Shital

It is important for us all to understand the importance of reo, and in particular te Reo Māori ki Aotearoa. We want our tauira to engage in experiences that reflect their culture and heritage.

Sheryl

To acknowledge tangata whenua as Te Reo is part of our culture. To empower the students I teach

Sheree

I am passionate about learning as I am a descendant of Notupango Marae.

Sheralee

This was my fathers and all my tupuna first language. I'm sadened that they weren't able to speak this language back then and my father did not want me to go through what he did with having this as my first language. I'm helping my father embrace his first language and with his permission asking for his help to embrace our beautiful korero. I want to learn and korero and share with my children and mokos.

Shelley

Te reo is part of the air, the sea and the land of Aotearoa. To understand this is to understand Aotearoa

Shelley

I feel its important to embrace our culture let's blast some Maori songs and feel good

Shekinah

Being a New Zealand citizen and an ECE teacher, I think it’s my obligation to acknowledge our unique bicultural heritage of Aotearoa.

Shehla

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Shaynon

Part of my commitment to being an honourable te Tiriti partner

shayne

I’m an early childhood teacher and enjoy sharing te reo Māori with the children I teach as well as my own two children. I am pakeha and struggle with some people close to me thinking it’s not the right thing to teach my children about the heritage of our country so that makes it even more important to me that I do.

Shawna

It is important to me that my children can speak all official languages of New Zealand and honour the first people of the land.

Shaune

For our future as a unique blend of cultures, New Zealand needs te reo Maori & personally it connects me back to NZ even when I'm overseas. I hope our culture & language doesn't just survive but instead thrives.

Shaughn

It is important for me to take part and be involved with learning the language in a hands-on way so I can support other people to do the same. I have young children so me being able to support them on their language journey is an awesome way of connecting to them and their learning.

Sharon

My late partner was Maori 0ur daughter is part Maori, my 3 grandaughter are part Maori so I encourage my grandaughters to learn as much as they can while they are still young

Sharon

Te reo contains the resonance of this whenua and her tangata. As a guest in this land it is my duty and privilege to learn the language that contains the wairua of Aotearoa and tangata whenua and to support and strengthen te reo Māori development and use.

Sharon

Māori language is one of 3 official NZ languages and needs our 100% support and promotion. I want to see each of us in NZ own it regardless of our ethnicity. I am pakeha NZ married to a NIuean Samoan brought up on the Coromandel where my mum was the only white woman in the Kapa Haka. The reo is key to our young people finding strength and purpose in their Identity and culture. this moment is a celebration of how far we have come as a nation since 1972. It is a moment to celebrate and to look forward to what further we need to accomplish as a nation.

Sharon

I am always up to learning. . Te Reo is one of three languages in New Zealand. . It is apart of who I am and my whānau. .

Sharna

I am a New Zealander and Maori is an official language of Aotearoa!

Sharlene

Ko te reo mauri o te mana Māori. Koina! kaore he kupu e tua atu i te kōrero nei! E tika ana me whakanui!

Shari

I love the vision behind this- to integrate te reo Maori into our everyday language - 1 million speakers by 2040 would be awesome!

Sharee

To connect myself and my kids with our Whakapapa

Shannon

I'm maori, of Tainui descendant- feel it's time. I want to learn-

Shani

to create a better Family connection and to continue learning

Shane

Tena koe, Ko Nga Puhi ko Ngati Mutunga Wharekauri Te iwi. Ko Shane Ngapou Ote Hahi Epiha tonu ingoa. I was born in 1975 at Middlemore Hospital Auckland. At 2 my father completed his trade through Maori Affairs as a carpenter and we moved Tennant Creek. NT Australia. Basically put you finger in the middle of the Australian map and that’s where I grew up for the next 10 years of my life. We moved back to NZ Northland in 1989. When we moved home it wasn’t cool to speak Te Reo and I was often ridiculed by non maori for trying. I have spent the last 30 years of my life ignoring my reo, my taonga, my heritage, my essence. Ko au Te Reo Te Reo ko au. I have spent my life communicating in English but not until I started learning and opening my heart to Te Reo have I realised I was supposed to communicating in my native language. I am now a fist term councillor and director for the biggest business in our district and being able to mihi in Maori is certainly my biggest privilege. Mana motuhake me te aroha, Tino Rangatiratanga.

Shane Ngapou O Te Hahi

Maori indigenous culture makes New Zealand special and we need to integrate it and te reo more.

Shan

I was made aware of this by my syndicate leader at school so thought I'd sign up :)

Sene

I'm half Maori and Tongan. Knowing my whakapapa is important to me especially my tamariki. I take pride in my cultures.

Seini

To learn te reo is part of my journey to learn more about myself so that I can continue to teach our rangatahi the importance of knowing who they are. .

Scotty

Kia kaua te reo Māori, me ōna tikanga e mate, e ngaro noa.

Scarlett

I want to be a part of the reo māori moment āpōpō and beyond! I want to be active and help keep te reo alive :) I am Pākeha but I am passionate about tikanga Māori and learning te reo is just one way a can continue to deepen my love & understanding of all things Māori.

Savannah

Because te reo is an official language of New Zealand. . I also want to acknowledge the significance of our indigenous culture.

Sars

I have friends who speak Te reo and I would love to engage with them and understand them better. It is an important aspect of their culture and self-identity and I want to acknowledge this.

Sarah-Jane

Better connection and understanding of Maori community.

Sarah