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'

My 'why' is that Te Reo Māori is so intertwined in the culture of Aotearoa, but so many people still struggle to simply say the name of a town or place correctly! I want to celebrate Te Reo as an important part of life in Aotearoa.

Katy

Because Te Reo is one of our three official languages. We must preserve this Taonga!

Katrina

The beautiful Te Reo that I helped preserve for future generations through our touring production at Taki Rua (theatre organization) was irreplaceable. As an American who had the pleasure of hearing and speaking it, I want other countries to hear it and speak it too.

Katie

For my children, grandchildren and the future generations to come.

Kathy

We want to take our first steps to normalising the use of te reo in our community centre and cafe.

Kathy

Te Reo us a beautiful language 😍 and I would love to learn more and be able to speak and understand when spoken to

Kathryn

I am a researcher in Applied Linguistics, specialising in language learning. New Zealand is my adopted home, and I want to express my gratitude for my acceptance here, and my respect for the open sharing of their language by the Māori people.

Kathryn

I just think it's good for my children and me to learn. We arn't maori and i never really got a chance to learn to much growing up, I'd love to learn more. Its real heart warming when i hear my girl come home from kindy singing songs and talking in te reo, I love it!

Kathleen

Ko Te Reo o o tātou tupuna he taonga mö a tātou mokopuna

Kathleen

Because this is apart of where I come from. I want to move away from the tokenism that surrounds Te reo Māori

Kathleen

I value the importance of our national language and especially as an immigrant it is my responsibility to learn to use it

Katherine

This reo is unique to Aotearoa, if we lose the reo we lose more than a language, it's the essence of te Ao Maori. It's also part of who we are as a nation, Maori and Pakeha. It's a no brainer for te reo to be taught in schools, children have no barriers, pronounce and adapt so well. Adults can learn from our tamariki and keep this rich, beautiful language alive and strong.

Katherine

Speaking Te Reo helps to keep the language alive for future generations and is honouring to Maori people and our Maori communities.

Kath

Te Reo is an important part of NZ culture and it's important to embrace and include it in our everyday lives.

Kate

Te Reo is unique to NZ, and because of that, it binds us together as a country.

Kate

This is a community I have been apart of since way back and I have a passion for health and well being which I believe te reo tuku iho can add to the value of our mahi as an individual and roopu.

Kataraina

As a Kaiako I want to improve my practice to confidently speak Maori alongside our Tamariki so I am enriching our tamariki cultural heritages of Aotearoa.

Karleta

Te reo Māori is one of New Zealand's national languages and we should all be a part of keeping this alive.

Karl

I am proud of my Māori heritage. I love hearing Te Reo being spoken. My Mum used to teach Māori back in the day. Knowing your identity is so important. Knowing where you are from is important too. Whakapapa is key to living life to the full. Never meant to live life, do life alone or in isolation but together as Whānau in Whānau. I truly believe our Ataahua language will never die out, not as long as we have a fire burning inside of us! Anyhooo, if I was fluent I would have written this message in Māori, but, I am not . . . yet💕

Karina

I am a teacher, most of my students are Maori and this week is a celebration of their ancestry and who they are.

Karenne

Korero ki a wai ma

Karena

Languages are precious living treasures - and must be valued and shared to be kept alive

Karen

Want to support compulsory te reo Maori in schools

Karen

For our people, for the past, present and future.

Karen

I’m currently on a journey to learn Te Reo Maori and am trying to speak more in my home and workplace. If I speak more I hope others around me will absorb it and improve their pronunciation and feel more confident to speak it. Being one of our national languages it is important to keep it alive and flourishing!

Kara

Its important to learn and keep learning and teaching Te Reo to our tamriki so that we can all get better at speaking and learnng about it.

Kalpana

Because it is our heritage and I should start to engage in te reo

Kaingamaha

Reo is important

Kahu

I want to improve my reo and communicate better with my papa

Justyce

We all need to do our best to learn te reo Māori as one of the key languages of Aotearoa.

Julie

Because it is an important part of New Zealand culture and I want to use more te reo in my everyday

Jp

He puna wai, he puna kai, he puna reo, he puna reo, ita -a - ita

Julie

It’s important for NZ as a whole

Julie

I want to start pronouncing Maori words correctly and this is the starting time for that journey.

Julianne

Celebrating Te Reo as a foreign born Kiwi helps in recognising the importance of Maori in New Zealand. That no matter how many immigrants come here, Maori is what makes NZ unique. It's about paying respect

Julia Louise

I was sad to have students think I was a te reo Maori expert when I know and use a few phrases with my students. . . . how can my small knowledge of te reo be seen as expert . . . . . I am trying to learn full phrases instead of vocabulary mixed with English.

Julia

I am Maori and proud of it. We are the indigenous people of Aotearoa. I would like other cultures know that we are of strong beliefs just like other cultures. We also know how to approach and/or fight for our rights. We are far better off than most countries around the world. I would also like to see a Labour-Maori government. xxx

Julia

To learn more Te Reo and increase my confidence in using it. To support my amazing colleague Marino Tiuka who leads Te Reo and Te Ao maori at our College

Judy

I am an immigrant and want to learn more about the culture & language that make up my adopted homeland. I love learning what the Maori place names mean and being able to understand so much more.

Judi

The concept for this year's wiki o te reo, inspires me a lot. He whakaaro papai ake.

Juanita

Restoration.

Juanita

It is the responsibility of all people of and from Aotearoa New Zealand to commit to the normalisation and use of te reo Māori.

Jp

Because I value the language and its culture. It's an important part of our history and I feel all children in New Zealand should be surrounded by the language and culture. I'm an Early Childhood Teacher so I believe it should start with us.

Josie

Becuase my school is doing ut and I wouod like to contribute to the schools moments!

Josie

I am Māori. I am only learning to speak through the Wānanga now at the age of 34. I want my daughter to be fluent when she is my age (or earlier). Knowing the language of our tīpuna is key for tangata whenua in Aotearoa to move forward in a progressive direction. It is also important for all Pākehā and other New Zealanders to learn and understand the language of the country and fully accept and acknowledge the culture of the Māori. Te reo Māori, mātauranga Māori and tikanga Māori are vital to the achievement of Māori self-determination and tino rangatiratanga. Kia ū, kia mau ki to Maoritanga.

Joshua

If I can devote time to learning (admittedly bad) Spanish for two months in Mexico, I'm ashamed if I can't put effort into learning the language of my whenua for the past 30 years

Josh

Embracing and learning from new culture!

Josephine

To keep the language alive

Joseph

I dont really know much about my culture or how to speak it so i want to get better and learn my language

joseph

Its important to me beamcause I don't want my children growing up with out some sort of te reo speaking in them I was neva taught at school. After my nana passed away we neva got taught to speak maori so trying to re connect with my language and culture while living abroad.

Jorden

Learning more about my culture helps me discover more about myself. Without knowing my whakapapa who really am I?

Jordan lee

The more people who even at least try, means they are accepting and embracing tikanga of tangata Wenua. The least someone like my self living in Aotearoa can do, is to be part of this.

Jonno

In 1972 30 000 marched to keep Te Reo alive and taught in our schools. I want to be apart of the 1 million that have accepted the wero and will all join in to keep Te Reo spoken in Aotearoa.

Jonelle

I have an interest in developing Maori kaupapa throughout my organization (alongside several others) and initiatives like this support what we're trying to do here. I grew up a native speaker but don't quite have the fluency anymore. It's a place that I want to return to in the near future.

Jon

Because not knowing Te Reo prevents me from engaging with and helping others that I might need to.

Johnny

I took Te Reo at high school 25 years ago. I'm stunned by the prominence and acceptance that the language now has in daily life in Aotearoa. And, we can still do do much better. I'm personally proud to have been a part of that journey and I want to continue being a part of it.

John

Te Reo is a taonga and needs to be used ko ia ra ko ia ra.

John

As a teacher it's a must, as a Kiwi (6 generations) it's important to recognise the first people and learn from them, as a human I find I enjoy and relate to lots of things in Te Ao Māori - it's a pleasure.

JOhanne

I believe we (as New Zealanders) should respect and honour the past, and embrace a connection to Maori.

Joe

I want to reconnect with our beautiful culture.

Joe

It is important for our tamariki to learn and acknowledge our bicultural New Zealand.

Jodie

Seems only right to speak the language of the first people of this country.

Jodene

To support nga iwi ki te korerorero te reo maori

Joanne

Tino ātaahua te kaupapa o tēnei wā

Joanna

To embrace and learn the language Aotearoa

Joanna

To keep Te Reo alive

Joan

I would like everyone to be able to learn and speak te reo Māori including in schools and workplaces.

jo

Te reo Māori needs to be everywhere all the time in NZ. It needs to be taught, spoken, sung, celebrated! We should be a Māori speaking nation, everybody. Our language is our identity.

Jo

Vital that we keep the beautiful language not just "alive" but thriving. Vital for all our tamariki in Aotearoa.

Jo

It's important to take part because it's a way we can all feel part of the same whole. Individualism has gone on too long. Togetherness is the way forward.

Jo

I want to become more aware and knowledgeable in this area. I have great respect for Maori and their culture and therefore a willingness to learn.

Jo

Because we have a rich and exciting cultural mix in NZ and learning more about taha Maori will help Mauri ora to continue to grow and evolve. There is unacceptable inequity for Maori and this has to be addressed by everything we can do - and that doesn't always have to be a huge undertaking, just small changes we make everyday.

Jo

kia whakakotahi ai nga mahi reo Maori - coordinated approaches across reo Maori initiatives

Jo

I've just found out I have maori blood in my mix. I'm Keen to learn the language

Jo

to keep this amazing language alive and include our young tamariki on the pathway of knowledge and respect for langauage

Jo

To keep the language alive and to support our Maori students

Jo

I work in an ECE Service and I think it's important to use it with our tamariki and Educators; so the more they can hear us using it, it will become normal and the more we try to use it, the more people feel confident to use the language and keep it alive too.

Jo

Te reo Maori is one of the beautiful things that distinguishes Aotearoa from other countries. It is a gift that should be treasured and nurtured. I have Maori ancestors and it is important to me to recognise my tupuna.

Joanne

so that i can get better at te reo

Jo

I believe that widespread use of Te Reo is an important part of the development of better race relations in Aotearoa.

Jim

It is important to me that using te reo Maori becomes as normal in everyday life as English.

Jilly

I believe that te reo should be part of every day language. I was teaching until recently and encouraged my students to use small sentences daily.

Jill

Te Reo is a living language - speaking it keeps it alive.

Jill

Not understanding Te Reo Maori feels like I'm not living in New Zealand fully.

Jill

My mokopuna deserve to have the reo Maori in their future

Jill

Since the beginning of this year I have undertaken the journey of finding my tūrangawaewae. Being Moriori, Māori and Pākeha I have felt internally conflicted and ungrounded. I decided to ako about my whakapapa, my iwi and my whānau and received my Tā Moko. I have since been listening to Te Reo lessons online, watching Māori ted talks, and doing what I can to immerse myself in my culture. This is another step in the journey.

Jessica

Te reo Maori is growing but not fast enough. Through colonisation there has been limited education and less free speech surrounding reo especially for our tipuna. They were essentially told not to speak Te Reo I know my nanas generation were frowned upon and even beat for speaking in reo. I want all Maori to be speaking our language fluently and positively, every single day without consequences, not just the 700 there are today but ALL Maori. Imagine thousands speaking full reo not just around mahuru Maori month but all the time, everyday, at mahi, at home, at hui, everywhere. And the government needs to support this 100%. Not just Te reo but Maoridom as a whole.

Jesse

I am Māori, I am tangata whenua, I am kaitiaki. I was not brought up with te reo or tikanga Māori, and it isimportant to me that I get back to my heritage and culture. Ko Maungatere te maunga Ko Rakahuri te awa Ko Ngāi Tahu te iwi Ko Ngāi Tūāhuriri te hapū Ko Tuahiwi te marae Ko Jess Nicholson tōku ingoa

Jess

To continue my journey

Jess

It's a powerful statement about how important te reo is

Jess

To ensure I’m doing my bit to encourage our babies & wider whānau with their reo so that one day it will be our first language again

Jess

To grow in confidence to be who I am - my whakapapa To walk proudly with my head high knowing where I come from To be confident to use Te Reo in even the smallest way, growing as I continue my journey

Jess

because its the right thing to

Jess

Because the Maori language just like all languages celebrated in NZ is a gift that we should cherish because its our countrys history and legacy.

Jess

It’s important because it’s our taonga to protect and to carry with any way we can. Day in day out- In the classroom- on tv- On the kapahaka stage- in the church. . . . It’s who we are.

Jess

To be able to speak more Maori to my children

Jess

Because of growing up and feel ashamed of being Maori due to pakeha being nasty if you sed I’m Maori I want to learn to show my children be proud of who you are. I want to be able to teach and speak te roe Maori at home.

Jerica

This is a journey about nationhood. Nationhood is about my moko. Its about whanau.

Jenny

For me, Maori culture and traditions mean connection to the whole: connection to self, connection to others, connection to nature and the universe. Without a deeper understanding and engagement with our national culture, I feel a piece of my identity as a Kiwi is missing.

Jenny

It is important for the well being of the people who live in our country to know some Te Reo

Jenny