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'

Because it’s cool to korero😜😜

Billy

To promote and collaborate with others the use of te reo Māori in Aotearoa and to learn and gain more confidence in using te reo in my everyday life an in my teaching.

Natasha

Te reo is the language of the tangata whenua we should all be confident and proud to use te reo!

rachel

As a nurse I would love to be able to converse with my Maori patients and be able to feel confident doing so. Even just hello, please and thank you etc would be a great place to start

Caty

We need to decolonise the moment

Greg

Because it is a beautiful language and who I am

Faye

I'm embarrassed that I have called Aotearoa home for so long but still haven't learned its beautiful language properly, and I'm finally going to do something about that and find a class.

Jennifer

I was born and grew up in Melbourne, Australia. I respect my Aotearoa heritage (Ngāi Tahu) while acknowledging my ngati kangaru upbringing. It's nice to be part of something bigger. To whakapapa back to something and centre myself using the wisdom of our tupuna.

Zach

Participation in Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori is a no-brainer for any school committed to an authentic bi-cultural journey. Our tamariki and staff at Te Rā Waldorf school love learning te reo, waiata, mahi kapa haka, kēmu, mahi toi, etc. We are about to use the Taura Whiri self-assessment tool "E tipu ngā uiui" to develop our mahere reo.

Rongo

Te reo lives in being spoken and I want to join in and celebrate that life by speaking te reo Māori. And doing it together marks the power of te reo.

Dave

I've seen how much learning te reo has helped my mātua kēkē on his journey, and I am inspired to do the same now.

Fritt

To grow my confidence in speaking Te Reo Māori, to teach it to my tamariki (I’m still on my Te Reo learning journey), & improve my kupu knowledge.

Holly

Whanau Legacy of Te Reo

Meretaka

Our reo connects us - to each other, to our whakapapa, to our whenua. It anchors us, and I want to be a part of that wairua, that mauri that will occur on Sept 14.

Kasey

I always encourage everyone to speak te reo Maaori as it is an indigenous language and an ataahua one at that, that should be celebrated everywhere. I am going to push myself in speaking more reo Maaori and waiata

April

To keep the language alive and to discover my identity!

Margaret

I am Pakeha and a beginner te reo student. It's important I learn te reo Māori as a way to be a better tiriti partner and also take action against ongoing colonisation. Learning te reo is helping me to learn more about te ao Māori. Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori is an awesome opportunity to celebrate te reo and te ao Māori. And for beginners like me, to give it a go. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou ki te wiki!

Sue

Kia ora, I am studying to become a teacher and am committed to improving my te reo Māori, to ensure that I am a culturally responsive teacher, have the confidence to support the development of our official language, and provide learning opportunities that respect the history of our country.

Hannah

We are a kura who value and wish to acknowledge the taonga that is Te Reo Maori.

Jessica

To promote te reo Maori among the next generation.

Sylvia

Mö ngā uri whakaheke! ! ! !

Toria

Im maori

Kennedy

my tamarki are ngati kahangungu

Maneesh

It's important for me to take part because generations of my tupuna fought for this to happen in different ways because they wanted our reo to survive, and it has. I korero to acknowledge my whakapapa and their histories.

Makere

Te Reo Maori is a taonga and it helps us to connect to our whenua, our whanau, our wairua and our cultural identity.

Juanita

He taonga tuku iho mō ngā uri whakatupu. Kāore tōku pāpā i kōrero Māori, erangi, ka kōrero Māori āna mokopuna katoa!

Rangimarie

ko te reo te mea nui i roto i taku koiora i tenei wa me te hiahia ki te oko tonu

Wai Moana

To be a part of the movement to continue to uplift and support te reo rangatira for future generations.

Tarnz

When my Nanny went to school, she was punnished for not speaking english and consequently didn't pass te reo on to her children. I am reclaiming my legacy for my Nanny, and for my future mokopuna.

Natasha

I am an older pakeha New Zealander, but love Te Reo and how we are embracing its use as a normal part of our daily life. I remember the days when kids were not allowed to speak Te Reo so watching the growing resurgence of our language is very moving. I want to take part to show how important Te Reo is to me, even though i find it hard to remember, but i practice practice practice !

vicki

Made a promise to myself to increase my te reo Māori this year, am doing online course with Te Wananga o Raukawa and thought this is cool too

Steph

I came from Ireland and Aotearoa has given me a home I am very proud to live in. In respect of that I want to learn more. Also as a kindergarten teacher it is vital for the mana of our tamariki that te reo is a living language that strengthens their I identity.

Mary

I have been living in Australia most of my life, and I feel I needed to reconnect with my culture and heritage more. Both of my Grandparents have past now, but they were very well known in the Rātana community In Rawhiti.

Adelle

I have never learnt a second language. It makes sense to learn my home country's one

Pam

Te Reo Māori is a vibrant, poetic language. The world needs more vibrancy and poetry.

Mike

Te reo is important to me because it gives me and my whanau a way to connect with our tūpuna. I'll be better prepared to teach my kids te reo. I'll be able to better understand korero that is in te reo like on Marae or in hui. And it's cool! !

Sharn

I have lived in Australia most my life. As a proud Maori woman I want to know more about my culture. Where I came from and have it be a part of my future. I want my children to know and continue that legacy.

Stacey

Te reo Māori was not offered to me in my schools. My parents didn’t speak Te reo neither my grand parents. But it is such a beautiful language that I should identify with, it’s more than about me , it’s about my whanau and the years to come, my future kids.

Janice

I want to be a great Te Reo speaker and successfully teach my whanau. I want to be a great role model for my tamariki and teach them te reo in hopes that they teach their tamariki so our reo is never forgotten. I want to learn and teach Te Reo Maori in Honor of my late pāpā, Piripi Riley Daniels.

tarai

Because it allows me to embrace my own culture that I have not really been comfortable or allowed to express/acknowledge/explore while growing up in a bi-racial family. I also think the language is beautiful when spoken and is also important to speak properly as to respect the culture and those people/places/things/beings.

Jackie

Te reo Maori is a recognized language in this country. So it makes sense that all New Zealand people have access to learning it.

Mark

As a young(ish) Māori teacher I want to encourage my students to embrace the rich cultural heritage our country has. It is so powerful to be a part of this shared experience at the exact same time across NZ.

Shari

As a New Zealander and a primary school teacher it is my responsibility to embrace the culture of where I live. To me this requires me to push myself from my comfort zone and learn with my students.

Michelle

Okay where do I start it’s important to me to learn te reo and everything Maori and more so a path of education health and wellbeing. Iv been through chemotherapy 3 times since my 20s I’m now 43 and it taken a toll on my body so I know if I go back to my roots I know this will put me in a good mental state and be around longer for my wife daughters and mokopuna

Steven

Ko te moemoeā, kia rongo ai tō tātau Reo Māori e kōrerotia kei ngā moka katoa o Te Tairāwhiti, otirā te motu whānui. Kāre e kore ko tērā hoki ngā wawata o tōku kuia i te wā i ora ai ia. Me rātau hoki i para ai te huarahi nei mo ngā reanga e haere ake nei. Kare e kō atu kāre e kō mai <3

Antony

I am learning and engaging with te reo Māori to better understand and communicate with tangata whenua

Emma

As a 'blow in' from the UK I feel a responsibility to honour the culture of the place I've chosen to call home and raise my children. I want my kids to grow up understanding that language is a key part of a culture and that it must be cherished and used or part of the culture is lost. My Welsh and Cornish ancestors lost their language and I mourn that loss.

Amanda

I want to feel more connected to the land and to do this I feel I need to be more connected with the mana whenau. And to do this I need to speak their language. (Literally and figuratively)

Robyn

Language revitalisation has been a hard fought effort, and one that requires on-going support but one that we all benefit from, as a community, a people and a nation. Ko te reo te hā o te Māoritanga me te mana Māori.

Matiu

Because this is my culture, and Matua told me to

Nöku te haepapatanga ki te whakamana, ki te körero I to tātou reo.

Kaareen

Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori

Eddiena

I have a deep respect for Maori and their language and I have been learning about that for 4 years now

Nenabella

I have a little Kapa Haka me Pasifika group of 150-200 tamariki, who are in our roopu by their own choice. They choose to represent parts of their whakapapa or their country by choice. I teach in a school of over 400 students. So it is an honour for me to support these tamariki to learn, to waiata, to korero, to express our unique and tino ataahua culture, reo, tikanga with the top most integrity. Its an honour that i hope my tupuna glance down and feel remembered and loved.

mabel

Te reo is part of our culture and our heritage, I want to celebrate that.

Luke

Our why is to create awareness within our organisation. To show our commitment to the revitalisation of Te Reo Maori.

Rangitīkei

Our recognition of te reo Māori as an official language of New Zealand is a critical part of how we recognise Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Our annual commitment to Te wiki o te reo Māori and the chance for us to take part in one in a million is another way we can demonstrate our values.

Massey University Library Manawat≈´

New Zealanders are Kind and the diversity in culture really make a difference. We are all IN together

Kevin

Because I want my children to know their mother tongue.

Billie

learning any culture is cool and learning the culture of the country you live in is super cool. . . . the history , the people the language are so important to living.

kevin

I have been in New Zealand 17 years, I know some Maori words, although pronunciation is not always the best I would like to improve and learn more so I can be a good role model for students. I think its important to protect the language and culture and if I can help to do this I will be happy.

Debbie

We should ALL foster te reo Māori in NZ. Its unique to this whenua and as a NZer I appreciate being here and wish I could korero more in te reo but baby steps. . . . . I loved singing in Māori at primary school and counting and learning colours, but as an adult have not engaged enough. Te reo should be learnt and cherished by anyone who wants to call Aotearoa home. I will be fostering this at work. Kia kaha!

Sarah

Nō te mea, ko te reo Māori te reo rangatira! ! !

Hannah

For me It is important to keep the language alive for my tamariki. This will not only help them learn and grow but also understand where they are from and help give them a sense of belonging in a world that will throw them so many curve balls.

Lalita

I was born and raised in Australia, all I knew was that I was part Māori. Somehow my mother was able to make us proud to be 'part' Māori. I decided to do an 'oe' back in the 80's for the purpose of learning te reo Maori, after my 12 months I returned to Australia. Then moved to NZ in 1991 when I was hapu with my son as I didn't want my children growing up being mistaken for being from a different ethnicity (Italia, Greek, Chinese). I grew up hearing the stories of how my mother was strapped at school for speaking / uttering kupu Maori. We are surrounded by kupu Maori in Aotearoa and our kupu / reo deserves to be pronounced properly.

Carolyn

As a teacher I want to do my bit to improve my knowledge and understanding of Te Reo Maori. I find it hard to remember and learn this language, so a word a day send through by someone from BLENNZ is helping me to slowly improve.

Ellen

To be part od the community

Louise

For me as tauiwi and a multilingual person I've always been fascinated by the languages and I understand the importance of being able to use your own language as well as taken the effort of understanding someone else's language. Your language is p[art of who you are, and no other language will be able to allow you to express who you are as your mother tongue. Ever since moving here I've tried to incorporate Te Reo in my daily use, I've followed classes, and we're learning some mātauranga Māori at work as well. Language connects us and I do my best to be connected with all parts of New Zealand which includes the beautiful te reo. Ko te pae tawhiti whāia kia tata Ko te pae tata whakamaua kia tina No Hōrana ahau Engari E noho ana ahau kei Waihopai Ko Anke Ruwette tōku ingoa

Anke

The history of our country

Lucas

It's important to me because we need to keep the reo strong and living and the only way to do that is to encourage as many people as possible to embrace it, and love it as much as we do.

Katherine

Important to understand Te Reo and Maori culture

maurice

Ki te whakaatu whakaute. To show respect.

PSN Staff

Ko tōku moemoea ki te kite i te rere ō tō tātou nei reo. I haere au ki te taha hoa o Hoaka Pounamu kei te whare wānanga o Waitaha. I ako mātou i te tino waiwāia o te taonga nei, ko te reo. Nā reira, i whakamātau mātou ki te whakarauora i te reo me ōna tikanga kei roto i te kitenga o te ao Māori. I kite au i te uaratanga o te reo mō ngā reanga katoa o te motu.

Riripēti

I am of Ngai Tahu and Te Aitanga Mahaki, my whakapapa is important to me and my whanau, We are proud of our whanau and particularly the very strong wahine who made a difference for all wahine both Maori and pakeha. Using Te Reo is part of keeping their stories alive and for all that follow us. Nga Mihi.

Susan

Sharing te reo with those around me keeps me connected to my tupuna, particularly my Dad, my marae and iwi. I hope it also sets a good example for my children, showing how te reo can be incorporated into our everyday interactions, even though I'm a long way from being fluent.

Bernadette

to learn to pronounce words correctly

I lived in a Maori community when I was small, and have attended a lot of Maori classes, although my Reo Maori has become rusty with disuse. I need some more!

Mary

It is important that te reo is revitalised in NZ - it shows respect and honour for the tangata whenu and helps with understanding culture

Sonja

Hei tautoko te reo tūturu o Aotearoa!

Eddie

To use te reo Māori more

Tania

I started learning te reo because it is the indigenous language of this country, and an official language of this country. I am continuing to learn it because it is such a beautiful language, and because it gives an insight into te ao Māori.

I would like to 'role model' the use of te reo Maori - as I am Maori and I am passionate about my Maori culture and speaking in te reo (although I am still learning). Acknowledging and supporting things Maori is important to me - as we live in NZ, and Maori is a key part of what makes this country unique.

Adrian

Te Reo Maori te Reo motuhake o Aotearoa, kare kooatu, kare koomai. I whanau mau ahau ko te Reo Maori anake te reo i rongo au iraa, ia raa. Naa ka timata au i te kura, he rereke te reo i reira. I patua matau mo te korero te reo Maori. Inaianei kia kaha rawatu tatau te mau/ako i to tatau Reo Rangatira hei huarahi tuturu mo nga reanga e whaiake nei i muri i a tatau. Kia kaha ano tatau te awhina tetahi i tetahi atu. Mauriora.

materoa

Be nice if we could speak some maori in aotearoa

Mary

It's very important to me that we preserve the beautiful language of tangata whenua. We're so lucky to have such a beautiful native culture and language, and if we all do our bit to learn and revitalise the language, then Māori and all tamariki will grow up with a normalised culture.

Kezia

The essence of our reo is the wairua. It's the wairua that gives you guidance. When you feel the promptings of the wairua and you harken to those promptings, it's here where you're reo will really begin to flourish. Ko te wairua i tiaki mai i a tatou katoa i nga wa katoa.

Haare

For the mana of the reo, for my tamariki, for my tipuna, for myself, and to role model for the rest of Aotearoa

Olivia

I started learning Te Reo a number of years ago, but haven't been actively learning for a while, so I would like to make a conscious effort to continue my learning.

Lynley

If we can show our respect to the land & it's people by making the effort to learn the language then why not!

Ayesha

I have started an intro to Te Reo and would like to start normalising by bringing it more in to my everyday vocabulary.

Melanie

Mō aku mokopuna te take. E kore taku mihi e mimiti ki taku hungarei, te māmā o taku hoa wahine, nāna aku tamariki i rehita ki te kohanga reo . . . . . . . me tā māua kore mōhio. Inaianei, he kōrero Māori katoa aku tamariki me aku mokopuna. Nei te hua o tōna moemoea mō āna mokopuna. Ae, mō aku mokopuna te take.

Bernie

I am not originally from New Zealand. But as a native indigenous from my own country where I am the minority, I strongly believe in not only retaining, but strengthening native indigenous language of the tangata whenua. The loss of language is a loss of culture. Colonisation has resulted in many losses and while we cannot turn back time, we can make the future better. As someone from a Polynesia-southeast asian background, we share similar worldviews and values of manaakitanga and whanaungatanga, amongst others. I believe that the future of Aotearoa should be guided by and should embrace te ao Maori.

Hana

Nā te kōrero o āku akonga Its our culture Because we deserve to Get to learn more So we don't forget to learn about our language Coz its us Representing our whānau It's our pride, our mana Coz we don't want to lose our language

Philomena

to reconnect with my whanau

Tina

Te reo Māori can only be revitalised by people! Not only is it a beautiful language that I enjoy learning, but the thought of it being lost through our generation is devastating. I want to be a part of revitalising as a sign of respect to the tangata whenua of our beautiful country.

Nic

Te reo is a beautiful language and a special part of the culture of Aotearoa. A living language is essential to the health of any culture; I believe Māori should be able to see, hear and speak their language as part of everyday life in Aotearoa, and that all New Zealanders can contribute to this becoming a reality.

Julia

Want to korero more, our reo is beautiful reo better then English

Atawhai

It’s important to me and my children because we are Maori and we all want to learn to speak fluent Te Reo Maori. It’s good for our wairua.

Helena

Our culture and heritage are a very importnant part of our learning at school and we want to come together to celebrate Te Wiki O Te Reo.

I am a Māori who was not fully immersed into the language or the culture as such. This is one way to learn more and build on what I do know. I also believe that Aotearoa can form an even stronger identity as a nation, if we take these sorts of steps.

Jason