Te pae kōrero | Our why

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

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


Add your 'why'

I want to show my support for ensuring that we keep Te Reo alive and beyond that, the use of Te Reo begins to thrive. Taking part is also part of my commitment to increase my own understanding of Te Reo and build my use of it everyday.

Melanie

The best way to understand a people is to understand their language. I believe this is the best way to foster true partnership between Maori and Pakeha, as originally intended in Te Tiriti o Waitangi. I would love to learn more te reo. I know just a smattering at the moment. I hope this is the year that my journey will pick up the pace!

Melanie

It's our official language and it is important to ensure that the language becomes a part of our everyday life and who we are as a nation. It makes me proud to be a kiwi. Apart from all that it is fun to learn another language.

Melanie

I am committed to bringing Te Reo Māori into our every day lives - it starts with one simple step :)

Mel

Te reo māori is a taonga, we need to NOT lose it

Mel

Te Reo should be a national language and this is how I can participate.

Mei Ling

To keep the importance of our language going. Maori language week should be hugely celebrated by all. It's a beautiful language and part of my Whakapapa/heritage and who I am as a Maori Wahine.

Megan

Hearing myself and others speak Te Reo makes my day brighter! It helps me to connect to everything around me.

Megan

Te Reo Maori is the original language of our country. We want to honour that by making it a daily part or our lives at home and in the workplace.

Megan

I am the only Māori nurse in ICU that can speak some te reo and a huge number of our patients are Māori. I am very passionate about taking care of our Māori whānau with better tikanga and saying peoples names correctly and where they come from is a good place to start

Mega

To be part of an import part of NZ culture and learn more about the history & meaning of the language.

meg

Love the Maori language and culture behind it. So important NZers embrace it, to better understand our country and its people

Meg

Te reo maori is an official language of New Zealand. As migrant I learned English but now it's time to learn another official language of New Zealand. After all we are in maori land and we need, by learning their language, understand their culture as its also New Zealand culture.

Maxime

My mum recently passed and te reo maori was important to her.

Max

To encourage myself and others to pursue learning the language and culture.

Matthew

Imagine if someone visiting from over seas had to learn some Te Reo Maori to get by in our country. If we all spoke Maori it would help define us and bring NZ closer as a population and country. Not to mention how beautiful the language sounds when spoken.

Matthew

because I'm maori and I want our language and our kaupapa for all kiwis to know, this is our land our tupuna gave to us and u think everyone should know this and understand this

Materoa

To appreciate a beatiful and vital reo for aotearoa.

Mat

I have had several attempts to learn Maori but need to continually commit to this journey.

Mary-Elizabeth

I think it is cool to be bi-lingual and this makes us a kiwi's unique

Maryann

My 6yo grandson is part Maori. He goes to a Kura kaupapa. He is excited to teach me some of his reo. I want to learn alongside him.

Mary

E tu au te turangawaewae . . .

Mary

I have Māori great grandchildren and want to learn te reo so I can speak the language with them. .

Mary

Maori are Tangata Whenua Te Reo Maori is an official language of Aotearoa-New Zealand He tangata whakapono ke ti tiriti Maori

Mary

I want to improve my ability to contribute to reducing inequity. Learning te reo and tikanga will help my understanding.

Dez Martin

It's important because as a pakeha NZer, acknowledging our dual heritage gives status to 'things Maori' and ensures that language and culture become willingly embedded in our identity.

Martin

I am a first generation kiwi and recognise that te reo as a taonga of the land of my birth and therefore is a part of my identity.

Martin

We should embrace all the elements that make us uniquely kiwi, and Maori language and culture is such an important part of our Aotearoa/NZ identity. Understanding and empathy are key to breaking down barriers.

Mark

It's important for our country.

Mark

As a Pākehā, helping Aotearoa with sustaining te reo Māori, matauranga Māori, and te Ao Māori, is one of the more important things I can do for our country.

Mark

To show respect to other languages and cultures

Mark

It’s important to me to honour the mana of this language as a carrier of the culture of maori. As a pakeha I am doing my best to bridge our cultural differences.

Marion

Good to learn different languages and plus Te Reo is NZ first language so I need to know some basics.

Marini

Its important to me because our language is our connection to our tipuna. Its important because I want our rangatahi to learn the language as there are so many not knowing our reo.

Maringi

I am newly returned to New Zealand, and I feel it important to do my part in acknowledging the value of Maori history, and learning Te Reo.

Marija

All of us need to act with cultural competency. We need to honour and respect our treaty partners. We are all learning, we need to learn and grow together Aotearoa.

Waimarie

Being united Celebrating and valuing our culture and heritage

Marie

Keeping our indigenous language alive to thrive is vitally important for this generation and those who will follow. Completing Te Reo Maori 101 was an incredible journey, the inspiring power and depth of Te Reo is amazing.

Marianna

Te Reo sounds beautiful- it is part of being a New Zealander

Marian

I believe in protecting and cultivating indigenous culture including its languages.

Maria

Reaffirm commitment to improve and grow in te reo confidence

Maria

It’s important working as a Māori Registered Nurse in a hospital setting to set an example to others, that’s why I am taking part

Maria

I am a Kiwi (by citizenship) and it is a privelege to learn the language of your country.

Maria

I believe that every body in Aotearoa has the responsibility and the obligation to help to preserve Te reo Māori. This is the moment, the opportunity, even if is just acknowledging someone with a Kia ora, tēnā koe, pō mārie. . . the smallest thing, everything counts, let’s try and make Te reo Māori being listened and spoken everywhere!

Maria

Being one small part of the million is contribution to the more important part of maintaining our culture, tikanga and te reo Māori. Ko tau rourou, ko taku rourou ka ora ai te iwi!

Mari

It is important that students become familiar with te reo as it is part of our Aotearoa history. It is also important to continue to keep moving forward with learning Māori language so we do not loose the momentum that has been created and to inspire others to learn the language.

Margo

Want to be part of fostering a collective commitment to the preservation and use of te reo.

Margo

Language and culture and identity are inextricably linked. Tangata when us have such rich knowledge to benefit all of us

Margie

I am of Maori heritage, and feel te reo Maori should be more mainstream. ALSO, I want to learn more te reo and hold my own korero in te reo.

Margaret

Kia ora. It's important to acknowledge the taonga of te reo Maori for everyone living in New Zealand, Aotearoa. It's also important to me as our whanau/family are multi racial, including Maori.

Margaret

Sharing te reo with sll

Margaret

I keep saying that this is the year I learn Te Reo and I never do anything about it. I love this initiative and I am hoping it will kick start me into changing that. I would really like to find a class somewhere close to my home in Ramarama. It is every New Zealanders responsibility to make sure Te Reo does not die out, because if it dies here it is gone forever

Margaret

I want to die knowing that I was a part of something truly significant for our people.

Margaret

I would like to reconnect with Te Reo through my workplace because learning as a group makes the commitment stronger

Maree

As a Principal it is our responsibility to ensure that our students understand the importance that the Maori have in our history and to promote Te Reo in our community and programmes of work.

Marcus

Because I'm Māori and it's in my blood. Been Māori is unique I am me.

Marcia

Te Reo is a language that needs to be heard

Marcelle

Because I am proud to be maori.

Marama

66% or our school is Maori and language is the 'breath' of culture. good for me to practice as a Kiwi, and support out tamariki

Mara

I am Ngati Awa and Ngai Tahu, but I was brought up with no knowledge or understanding of how important it is. What drives me to take part is because I AM Ngati Awa and Ngai Tahu!

Mandy

Te Reo Maori is fundamental to the history & present of Aotearoa. We should all recognise this national language as part of our everyday lives. I want to actually put this into action

Mandy

I missed out in our Reo and sent my son's thru the Maori Education and now I have grand children and great grandchildren going thru that same journey.

Mana

It's important to recognise the importance of te reo maori in this country for all New Zealanders

Malini

E hiahia ana ahau ki te tautoko i te kaupapa whakahirahira nei. He kaupapa hōhonu, he mea hononga.

Malcolm

Te reo Māori is our indigenous language and Aotearoa is my whenua whāngai.

Malakai

I'm enjoying learning te Reo Māori but my journey keeps getting interrupted. Using the 'wā' to reset my intentions. No better time than now while we are all redefining who and what we are as Kiwis on so many levels!

Makereta

Te Takinga o Te Reo Oranga

maioha

To encourage those around me to korero

Maikara

I whakapapa to Ngati Porou.

Maia

Ko tōku pēpi te tino pūtake o tāku haerenga reo Māori. I ahau e tamariki ana, horekau Te reo Māori - nā reira ko tōku tino whainga mōna, ka tipu ake ia i raro i te haumarutanga o Te Ao Māori.

Maia

Because its good to know where you come from and the culture behind things. The blog post slug for this story is: mahvi_-_hastings

Mahvi

Because its part of who I am and helps to strengthen my identity as a wahine toa

Mahia

Me whakatairanga tātou i te kaupapa nei, kia whai pūtake, kia whai mana tō tātou nei reo, mā a tātou tamariki, mokopuna. Ko rātou te āpōpō. Tukuna te reo kia ora.

Maharata

Our language is our strength an ornament of grace. It is important to keep it alive and to keep it alive we must practice it in our individual everyday lives.

Mafuike

I am of Maori decent and want to be a part of the revitalisation of te reo Maori. I want to support the younger generation and make the journey fun and exciting for them. I want to be a part of daily life.

Maea

Te reo Māori is a taonga, rich with life and knowledge - we as New Zealanders should be actively engaging with it in our everyday lives and treating it with the respect a taonga deserves♡ The blog post slug for this story is: madison_-_dunedin

Madison

It's important to me to act publicly to be a better Te Tiriti o Waitangi partner.

Madeline

It's in our whakapapa and in our toto. . . reo Māori is in our DNA.

Maaka

Acknowledging our identity and normalising our reo!

Maahi

To show respect and to be included in the transformation towards, and full integration of, Te Reo in Aotearoa.

Lynne

To celebrate being a New Zealander we share our languages to understand each other.

Lynne

I live here, this is my country, I should be able to speak the language of my own country.

Lynnda

Because change starts with an individual decision to learn.

Lynn

I am a primary school teacher. It is important to me that I encourage the use of Te Reo with my class.

Lynley

I educate my kids at home and it is important for me that they learn a language. Its amazing for your brain and it's the only respectful way forwards!

Lydia

So the language does not die

Lusia

Living and working abroad, especially in the chaos of recent times, te reo Māori provides comfort and connection back to our homeland. It’s interwoven into our identity, and something all New Zealanders can be proud of.

Luke

Te reo is part of our country's history, people, culture, identity

Lucy

I have always admired members of my whanau who have embraced our language and culture and would like to follow the great example they have been to me.

Luana

As its part of our heritage

Lata

Through learning te reo I have been brought closer to Māori people and their tikanga. I have a greater understanding and empathy for how Māori lead their lives and how history has impacted on them and this has quickly dispelled any predjudices I may have had instilled into me in my past. I hold fast to this whakataukī: 'Ko te reo te taikura ki te whakaao marama'. I feel honoured to be able to speak te reo Māori but only wish I had greater opportunity to do so to enable me to be fluent and more importantly to ensure the language survives into the future, so any chance I have to use it I will take it!

Louise

Kia ora I am a pakeha 5th generation on both sides. I have travelled the world and Aotearoa is unique and precious to me. We need to keep the langauge alive and I support this. I have shared this site with my collegues today and we will group together at 12. 00pm.

Louise

Being a teacher it's important to normalise the language.

Louise

Te reo Maori was not something I was taught as a child, and I am not confident at all when using the language, so I want to have non judgmental encouragement, so I can gain confidence. Making Maori language more common will foster this sort of environment,

Louise

For my children

Lorraine

I need to learn Te Reo as this is my tounge It was taken an now i want my family to bring it back into our whanau

Lorelei

This could be a defining moment for things Maori. To be involved with a million other New Zealanders, enriching our community with the reo is very cool.

Lomi

To teach my kids reo

Liza

To keep the language alive for future generations. To understand. For personal growth and to connect me with the land and history. To share my partners own journey.

Liz

It is the language of our people, our nation. It is time we treasure this part of our identity as New Zealanders and have te reo Māori commonly used/spoken/heard.

Liz