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'

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

To support authentic biculturalism in Aotearoa and strengthen my understanding of te reo

Liz

for my kids

Livi

It is part of our identity and respecting ourselves, our neighbour and our land

Liv

Since becoming a kaiako and completing my degree. . . it has become more important to me to speak and teach te reo maori as much as I can. I understand the importance of ‘keeping the language alive’ and believe I am in the best position working with tamariki to inspire and encourage them to learn and speak te reo too. I love singing waiata with our tamariki, it brings my so much joy and I’m proud to be able to teach and learn alongside them.

Rachel

We are a beautiful, resilient, strong people with so much to share with the world that is unique. Our stories and perspective are precious Tāonga that need to be cherished. The blog post slug for this story is: lissy_-_tamaki_makaurau

Lissy

Its important because we want to recognize that NZ is bicultural and it gives more mana to Te reo in our workplace.

Lisa

Because Te Reo is the first language of Aotearoa and while only part of my whanau are Maori, I want to protect the language and join initiatives that do that. It is a special part of being a kiwi and growing up in Aotearoa. Being in kapahaka, learning Te Reo, being a part of the community and culture.

Lisa

To celebrate tikanga and te ao maori through more frequent use and better understanding of te reo

Lisa

To keep Te Reo Maori alive

Lisa

My tamariki are maori and I am a part time teacher. I want both my own children and the children I teach to respect te reo maori and their own culture.

Lisa

I would really love for all New Zealanders to be able to learn te reo Maori from early childhood it would give us an understanding of, connection to and respect for Maori culture no matter what our background.

Lisa

To promote the importance Of and the use of Te Ao Maori.

Lisa

I am a New Zealander with colonial ancestry from 1843 Totally identify as a kiwi and although I can’t change colonial history want to help Aotearoa move forward as a United bicultural nation understanding diversity and specifically the needs of Maori in our modern world. I’m a retired teacher who used some te reo comfortably with children and whanau. I would like to do more. Te reo Maori is the language of our whenua! ! !

Belinda

This supports my personal Te Reo journey. It will be Wonderful to be part of a nation who will be in unison, singing, speaking, listening and embracing the reo. Brown and proud. Tau kē ! ! !

Nancy

To show my tamariki why it's important to grasp our native tongue and to cherish it. Also to build my confidence and to show them its never too late to learn. L

Leslie

I would like to know more about the Maori culture and Ive wanted to learn te reo Maori As a way of doing that.

Lesley

Married to a Maori and we try to make Te Reo a daily part of our lives.

Leonie

Ka reo o matau tupuna, mo matau moko puna,

Leisa

I'm manuhiri. My recent ancestors flew from across moana nui a kiwa and I feel a deep sense of connectedness to this place as Pasifika. I also feel a deep sense of responsibility in upholding the Reo and Tikanga, centering Māori language and culture on this whenua. I want to help in whatever way I can to preserve the language and culture here.

Lanny

Because I'm part Maori and can't speak the language.

LeeAnne

Embrace our cultural identity within Aotearoa thst is uniquely ours. Encourage students and faculty to speak and learn Te Reo Maori language

leeana

Aotearoa is the only country in the world that speaks Te Reo Maori, if we don't keep it alive here, it dies. It is our repsonsibility to keep this wonderful language (and by extension, culture) alive. It is up to us to empower others in doing so.

Emma-Lee

to keep our reo alive is to honor our culture. I wasnt given the opportunity growing up to connect with my culture so am doing everything I can to learn now.

Leanne

Ko te reo te taikura ō te whakaaro marama

Leanne

Te Reo is unique and is part of our culture here in NZ. It is our country's heritage and plays an important role in every New Zealanders life. I would like to take part to learn more about te reo Maori, supporting my students and myself in our own journeys.

Leanne

Kia Ora, For years I have sat back watching close friends and family learning Te Reo Maori and thriving. . . I want a part of that, I just have to get my nono into gear and do it! I've been encouraging those around me for years now but it's time to claim my own Tohu for my own reo journey! I know a little but not a lot, I understand a little but not a lot, I'm Hoha with that and want more! I tutor Kapa Haka at our School but I feel like I could give them more without relying on my fluent speaking whānau and friends. It would be a dream to see our language soar and learnt at mainstream schools, I'd love for my own children to learn Te Reo without having to travel a distance or pay extra at an institution to get what can be obtained at their own school. Something that should've been done from the start.

Leanne

Kia ora, do I have to tell you, too much pressure, I just want to see Aotearoa become one

Lea

It is important for me to take part to acknowledge the tangata whenua of the land that I call home.

Laura-Anne

Te reo is so important and needs to be bought back to life

Laura

Te reo Māori opens my eyes

Laura

Our kids were kohanga kids and now in rumaki reo. It is important that I learn alongside them to keep te reo Maori thriving in our whare.

Lance

I think it's important for us to connect with Maori culture

Laila

My ansestors fought to ensure we have the beautiful life we do today, the least I can do is take the time to learn about my whakapapa and speak the beautiful language.

Lacy

Its important that i learn the first language of our tipuna.

Noa

So speaking Te reo Māori is part of every day life for my tāmariki

Kylie

For the two to be taked amongst the tamariki through pukapuka me waiata and getting tau iwi tamariki to learn about another culture and a important one of two to Aotearoa.

Kylie

Te Reo is our country’s heritage/culture and our point of difference.

Kylee

14 September is my birthday and I feel like I am a part of Māori as well.

Kulathorn

I believe all new Zealand children should learn the Reo it is a huge part of our culture. I teach home based care, I believe it up to every NZer to keep Te Reo alive. I am on the learning journey with Te Reo so I can pass on what I learn to the children. It is proven that children that learn a second language at a young age are better able to learn other languages in latter life , lets give them the start with the chance to learn and imbrace Te Reo first . I have seen in other countries how (ie Australai where in primary school Japanesse is taught as a second language) that saddens me. I am proud that NZ is so strong on teaching our indigenous

Krystyna

As this is part of my culture and have wanted to o do this for a long time

Krys

My great grandparents were the last of our whānau to speak Te Reo. sadly my grandparents were discouraged from speaking our language and subsequently my mother and myself, my siblings and our children did not learn, hear or speak Te Reo. I want to be able to set a new course where we celebrate being Māori and be part of normalizing our reo :)

Kristina

It is important for me because of my son. I have a Maori partner and she speaks beautiful reo to our son. I want our whare to be diverse and never lose our culture or language.

Kristijan

Te reo is an integral part of us, as New Zealanders

Kristen

He māori ahau! My reo is limited, so I’m excited to get involved and build my confidence as well as my children’s confidence with te reo. Te Wā Tuku Reo Māori is such a great opportunity for us to come together to enjoy, celebrate and extend ourselves in kōrero Māori. Thank you for creating the opportunity for this moment 🙂

Kristelle

Kia mōhio ngā tauira, he Whare Wānanga reo Māori tēnei. Me kōrero ki ngā wāhi katoa o te Whare Wānanga. Mōku ake, kia noho haumaru ai te reo mō ngā tamariki me ngā mokopuna.

Krista

I reckon its an important kaupapa that everyone knows or at least understands the history of aotearoa, and that a good stsrting place for that is the reo.

Korihi