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'

Mōhio ahau iti reo

Danny

Korerotia te reo i nga wa katoa, kia kore e rite ki te moa.

Danni-Elle

To learn about my culture and who I am :) for my tupuna! ! ! !

Danielle

Bcuz it's my culture my heritage

Danielle

Because I am a NZ european born in Aotearoa and identify with our shared culture, taiao and tikanga; so I need to learn more te reo and about te ao maori, matauranga maori, korero tuku iho and wakapapa.

Danielle

To keep challenging myself!

Daniella

So I can learn more of the Maori language and use it more often.

Daniel
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He Māori Au. Kia Kaha ki te reo Māori tātou katoa!

Lois

Te reo Māori is a beautiful language and it is much wished for its return to fully be embraced, and shared.

Daniel

I want to be able to stand up and korero maori in front of all my whanau and represent my whanau on our marae and especially in front of my mum and dad. They are well respected in the community and speak maori regularly. I would lie to surprise them one day by standing up and speaking fluently.

Daniel

I believe as one of our countries languages it is important to learn and embrace and continue the language. I have children of Māori decent and I want them to learn about their culture and identity. It is my role as her mother to actively encourage her to learn about herself. I am the Kapa Haka tutor at our school so I want to be proactive in my approach to teaching things Te Ao Māori.

Dana

My wife is part Maori so I want to show respect for her heritage

Damien

I've been a bit slack and I'm still learning but I need koorero more often to keep the reo alive! It's unique to us and I'm proud to be Maaori and proud of our reo.

Darleen

To keep the language alive

Cynthia

As a Pākehā, learning Te Reo Is an important part of who I want to be in Aotearoa 2020, acknowledging the mana whenua, Te Ao Māori, and my own whakapapa as a 3rd generation of settler origin. It is my commitment and respect to matauranga.

cushla

To model to the youngest generation the value and importance of Te reo.

Crystal

Because this is who we are as a nation! Kia Kaha!

Craig

Learning Te Rep opens up a culture and world I would like to know deeper.

Craig

To keep our culture ALIVE

Courtney

It’s who I am

Courtney

its a beautiful language and want to learn more sentence structure

Corrina

Because Te Reo Maori should be more prevalent in our society.

Corey

I am Maori and Maori is me

Conrad

Te reo is the lifeblood of Maori culture. We must revive the language and culture, . After European colonization tried to exterminate every culture it found, we are obligated to redress that wrong. We should fight the extinction of cultures as much as the extinction of species.

Connie

Being that one in a million is not what is important. Whats important is continuing to help keep this wonderful language alive and growing. This will be fun.

Collin

Our Kura Rumaki is now in its 3rd year so while the mokopuna have forged ahead , keeping up is pretty difficult when it comes to age

Colleen

When we left Aotearoa, my high school had just celebrated Martin Simeon as the first Te Reo language winner at a Ngai Tahu school. 8 years ago my auntie shared that it’s never too late to learn & that @40 she didn’t have full TeReo. My mums foster mother was fluent at a time when there were only 20, 000 who were speaking TeReo, it’s time I help represent

Colette

Because te reo Maori is the first language of the country, a precious taonga

Clare

We are Aotearoa New Zealand; Te Reo is a beautiful, official language of our country. Restoring genuine partnership is our right, just, moral obligation as well as being required in our commitment to te Tiriti o Waitangi, revitalising te Reo is a step in that journey

Clare

Keep te reo alive in NZ. The language is the soul of a people and we need to honour this. Part of this doing what I can as a teacher of 5 year olds.

Ruma 14

Kia mohio ki Te korero Maaori I Nga was katoa Yo

Claire

Progress my personal learning as well as that of the children

Claire

Because Te Reo Māori is the first language of Aotearoa. We need to treasure this taonga and it should be spoken everywhere.

Claire

Te Reo is a special part of who we are in Aoteroa we need to celebrate and join together as one more so this year than any other - togetherness is so important right now

Claire

Te Reo is the first language of this land. I love the natural sounds of this land - streams burbling, pukekiwiriki twittering; ocean waves and gulls squawking and I imagine the sounds of te reo arriving and becoming part of the land too. Creating words for the birds that merged and blended with their sounds or habits and words for places that described events. My siblings and I did that as children for the places we played. My dad did it for the farm paddocks. My children did it. My grandchildren do it.

Claire

Many years ago I went to night school to learn te reo. I remember very little. One place I work quite a bit of te reo is spoken. I have opportunity and encoyragement to learn. I try. I realky struggle. I want to learn because it is a beautiful language. I also feel concerned that I wilk get left behind and not understand the communications around me

Christine

I want to be able to communicate with others in te reo to help create a better, more united NZ.

Christine

I want to finally learn more about te ao Māori and Te Reo and share as much as I can to keep this beautiful taonga alive.

Christine

Maori culture makes us unique in the world. It should be cherished and upheld and flourish. It is for all of us and helps make us as NZers. It is respectful of our first guardians of this land if we all take part in upholding the language, culture and tikanga.

Christine

Have an appreciation as I'm getting older, and wiser.

Christina

I see it as the perfect encouragement to more actively participate in the use of te reo Māori in my daily life. One moment leading to many others.

Christina

Im an early childhood teacher and as a partner of Tiriti o Watangi it is my obligation to uphold The principles of the treaty, as well as to work towards bicultural curriculum aspirations. I also love the Te Ao Maori and want to continue to embrace it through reo.

Christina

Its part of my culture and identity. I want to know more and be fluent or understand more.

Christina

Hei oranga tonu mō tēnei reo rangatira. Hei taonga tuku iho hoki mō aku tamariki.

Christiana

I've been in this wonderful country as a guest for 30 years before becoming a citizen last year. I feel I have been a lesser person for not knowing Te Reo Maori and the culture of the Maori people. That is about to change!

Chris

Te reo Māori has been sidelined and suppressed for far too long and as a Pākeha I have to take responsibility for this. It is overdue time to act positively and to try to normalise te reo Māori in my workplace.

Chris

My friend is maori and he’s very proud of it. I’ll speak maori for him!

Chris

Reconnecting with Aotearoa after long stretches abroad

Chris

I believe by learning te re maori it is carryong a taonga that is a living thing. it is important as a Pakeha to honour this treasure.

chris

I am passionate about our culture and the revitalisation of our reo. I wish to teach Te reo māori in a few years time once I complete my major in Te reo māori and my diploma in teaching :)

Chozen

Te reo Maori is a beautiful language and New Zealand should be a bi-lingual nation naturally. I would love to hear & see the language used everyday.

Chloe

ki te ākina te reo!

Chloe

We speak as much reo Māori as we can in our kāinga, our tamariki go to an immersion preschool and it's important for me to be able to keep up with their level of learning. Te ao Māori is a huge part of our identity, both personally and nationally.

Chloé

Becuse Te Ao Māori central to life in Aotearoa always - not just for an hour once a year.

Chloe

Language is the waka of culture. No te reo no Maori.

Rosa

To remind myself that being pākēha means honouring Te Tiriti, celebrating Te Reo and actively being anti-racist. He waka eke noa.

Cheryl

It is a beautiful language and I try to use Maori words that I know. it instills a sense of pride in myself that I try. it makes me feel respectful.

Cheryl

Celebrate Te Reo Maori Promote everyday use

Cheryl

As a Christian school, we believe that there is power in unity when we come together in praise / worship. The lyrics of 'Wairua Tapu' welcome the Holy Spirit and we strongly believe in the guidance of and partnership with the Holy Spirit, so knew this would be a perfect opportunity to sing together.

Chermayne

This is my culture and it is now my time to embrace and learn it.

Cherie

If New Zealand had abided by the principles of the Titiri o Waitangi we would be a bilingual nation. Our school is working towards becoming an 'English Medium bilingual school' - where students can converse in English and Maori fluently. We need to support Maori to take back the ground lost with anti-Maori language laws, that saw generations lose Te Reo. This initiative lifts the visibility of Te Reo and highlights the mahi we need to do, to develop Te Reo as a national, treasured taonga.

Cherie

Valuing and respecting our first language

Cherida

To teach myself and my students more about the native language of NZ!

Chelsea

It important for me to be involved because I wish to be more connected to my culture and language so in the future I can teach my son about who he is and where he comes from. I also hope to audition to perform with a roopu at Te Matatini but I’m afraid of judgements that I’m not fluent in Te Reo.

Chatia

It's important to me that my baby learns to live in balance with both worlds. I was disconnected to Te Ao Maori growing up and I try my best to revive that lost connection.

Nelly

To motivate me to carry on with my haerenga to fluency in te reo Māori.

Charmaine

Connect to our culture and to help allowing my kids to connect and identify to theirs.

Charmaine

Kei te haere ahau i te haerenga kite ako i te reo Māori

Charlie

My reason is a bit selfish but my up bringing was more of the pakeha way with my mother a fluent speaker but not allowed to speak te reo māori at school or home. So she told me that speaking te reo māori will never get me a job and that is why she never passed it down. Now I see and hear so many wanting to learn my given right of my reo and I need to learn and make sure that I have earned that right to learn and to let my mother know that “it is ok to kōrero māori at school! at home! Any where we want” Mauri ora

Whaea Char

my son in learning the reo an i want nothing more then to be there along his journey, it's beautiful that even though i don't know alot my aroha for the reo has grown so much.

Charlee

He tino kaupapa hohonu tēnei ki au. Ki te whakapiki I tō tātou reo rangatira kia whakamāoritia tō tātou reo hoki.

Chardonei

Language is taonga. I am enjoying learning more te reo and the way meaning is built up in the sounds.

Chantal

I was inspired by how embracing and inclusive of nature the Maori culture is, I wanted to get deeper into how that is integrated with their language and starting taking some te reo Maori courses last year - found the language simply beautiful,

Celia

It's apart of our history, a culture that should be kept alive and beautiful way to stay in touch with the people who saw value in every part of Aotearoa. We should embrace Maori culture and learn from it.

Because my father came here from Rarotonga and was not allowed to speak his own language. Therefore my brother and I missed out and are both trying to learn te reo in lieu of having our own reo.

Tarsh

Each year I grow in my te reo, tikanga and keen interest in Maori world view. I work from home and often in Australia so it is difficult to be in learning groups. On line helps. Nga mihi nui

Cathy

I'm a NZ'er. Maori culture and Te Reo is important to me.

Cathy

I am half Maori half pakeha but I identify more with my Maori Side.

Cathy

Maori reo and tikanga is very much part of our NZ culture in which we need to make sure to keep this taonga very much alive. Maori Spirituality plays a big part in the Tapu and Mana of all tangata/people of Aotearoa especially through a Catholic perspective.

Catherine

Māori is the key language in NZ and as a teacher I think it’s vital that we not only celebrate in schools, but teach it.

Catherine

It is an opportunity to be a part of something meaningful and special :-)

Cath

If not here then where? If not now then when? Ko te reo TE reo ātaahua o tēnei whenua - whakanuia!

Casey
Casey

It's necessary.

Carrie

I love Te Reo and that it is our indigenous language I have learnt basic Te Reo and it is a beautiful language

Carolyn

Just agree that we need to know more and use te reo more

Carolyn

I want to be part of making it normal to kōrero Māori. My whakapapa includes Te Atiawa & Ngai Tahu but I grew up with no contact with a marae. Now my daughter & daughter-in-law are learning & all my tamariki want our mokopuna to grow up with the taonga of te reo

Caroline
Caroline
Caroline

I want to learn more and teach my own tamariki

Caroline

Te two Māori is the language we turn to whenever we need comfort and strength. It is ours and we need to keep speaking it.

Caroline
Caroline

As a start I really want to understand the meaning of place names of our country and to be able to say these names correctly and respectfully. I'd love to be able to have conversations in Maori and in the process gain more understanding of a Maori worldview that might help me to feel more comfortable in Maori settings rather than shy away.

Caroline

Te Reo Māori is Aotearoa's language, we should all embrace and celebrate it The blog post slug for this story is: carole_-_auckland

Carole

He taonga te reo. I want to tautoko the slow journey to make it widespread in Aotearoa.

Carol

It's the first human language of our country and sits alongside the many languages of our native animals.

Carol

To know the language is to know the culture.

Carol

To inspire our younger generations 💚💛💙 The blog post slug for this story is: carol_-_gisborne

Carol

To help promote equity in Aotearoa

Carol

Te Reo is very Important and we need to make sure the culture, heritage, and language endures. It is part of us, and we have to fight to keep it that way. .

Carol