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'

Ko taku reo taku ohooho, ko taku reo taku mapihi mauria! Te reo is a taonga and a special part of who I am. It's important that it is available for our tamariki and mokopuna.

Anthony

As a migrant, I want to learn more about the Māori culture and history, as I make Aotearoa my home.

Cynthia

To ensure our tamariki have a chance to learn and love te reo Māori.

Mark

Kia tautokotia te kaupapa whai tikanga! Kia haumi tātou. We need to understand that in Aotearoa supporting te reo is as important as protecting the whenua.

Rachael

Its important that I take part, as this is part of my history and to make te reo maori a language that everyone wants to learn. . . It will take so much for us to get to where we need to but this is why we have things like this for us to really expose our language to the world. Te reo Maori to me is being able to connect with my whanau, my ancestors through language that was understood and now we are fighiting for this back.

Anthony

It's important to me and my whanau simply because it is us it also reminds me of what our tupuna fought and died for our rights to be who we are and our identity of where we come from and even today that fight still continues and because of that we have things like Maori TV Kura kaupapa Kohanga Maori entertainers translating their waiata into te reo maori Maori athletes being recognized through maori sports awards Now starting next public holiday in recognition of Matariki Maori rongoa clinic's recognized and implanted within our health system And as maori we continue to grow to better improve the well being of our maori culture and people

Robynne

He reo rangatira, he reo arahi i ngā uri whakatupu. Pupurutia. Kia mau.

Leaara

Ensuring tamariki home languages & cultures are visible in ECE is important for whanau & tamariki learning & development.

Mary

To spread the word, engage people of all backgrounds in the language and culture of Aotearoa and encourage people to take the leap and get involved.

Cerys

I want to help grow the the reo in Aotearoa

William

I dream of living in a community where te reo Māori thrives. Where it is spoken as freely as English. To me, it is one of our greatest taonga and something that enriches the lives of everyone living on this motu. Kia kaha te reo Māori!

Mark

I am part of the million that is writing the history of revival of the language of the whenua. I am proud.

Shree

this is my marae te paku o te rangi putiki wharanui i would to love to share this all about kaupapa and tikanga

Haylee

It is my cultural identity and makes me who I am. Kia ora tatou

Topsy

We are an early learning centre, and to incorporate te reo Maori in our everyday practices, is part of our philosophy and our curriculum. By taking part we would like to show our commitment to this as well as acknowledge that te reo is the living language of our peope, of our land, the place we call home now and we will strive to ensure that it flourishes and grows.

Preenika

Continute the development of te reo within our schools so it is not lost.

Miriana

We are a bicultural country and it is the responsibility of every New Zealander to learn te reo maori.

Shamima

To continue our journey as a school that acknowledges our bicultural partnership as detailed in Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Marcus

Kia kaha te reo Māori! Kia ora e te whānau!

William

For our Maori tamariki to have success in their learning, to be aware of each others identity, to be aware of the stories in our local area, to keeep the reo alive

Totara North School

Kia ora e hoa ma. Kia kaha te reo Māori

William

Proud to speak Maori. I love te reo and the way New Zealanders are embracing it!

Rebecca

Because this is Te Reo Tūturu o tēnei whenua. We can not go anywhere else in the world to learn Te Reo Māori. It is unique and very special to Aotearoa.

Rebecca

Kua whakahokia taku reo ki au me kōrero au me whakarongo hoki! Kia kaha te korero!

Miriama

I’m so lucky to be able to be made to feel included through experiencing the language like this

Rachel

Kia ora tonu ai tō tātou reo!

Moko

To respect and honour tangata whenua

Sally

It is important to take part to share with our tamariki the importance of culture, identity and ultimately Te Ao Māori and its integral place in Āotearoa.

Shannon

kia kaha te reo Māori! It is important to me to keep our beautiful indigenous language alive for my tamariki and my future mokopuna!

leanne

It’s time

Lydia

Kia ora Ko Maramatanga Davis tooku ingoa Noo te waka Tainui Kei te noho ahau ki Te Puaha o Waikato Noo reira Teenaa koutou katoa

Marama

Naa te reo o te kainga, o ngaa mantua tuupuna te take e ngaakau nui ana ahau ki too taatou reo rangatira.

Marama

As a Pākehā born in Aotearoa, I want to know the true history of our country, including its first language

NIki

Deepen our understanding of this beautiful land, and bond the community together through te reo Māori

Honour

My mokopuna and my love for our language.

Tia

Christine

To ground myself and my babies. To know who we are and where we come from. To continue what our Tipuna have left us.

Mara

On going learning of this beautiful language

Jackie

It takes one generation to lose a language and three to get it back. I am doing it for the protection of te reo Māori - my language and for my tamariki mokopuna so that they know how ataahua their language and all that it entails is.

Tate

Because enough has been lost. It is time to reclaim the language and ensure that it is kept alive.

Mel

To empower myself as Maori. Miria

Miria

Ahakoa he uri tauiwi ahau, he tino whakaute tāku ki te whenua. Me ako ahau ki te hikoi i te korero ---- Although I am of foreign descent, I have been brought up to have deep respect for the land. So I am trying to learn to walk the talk

Anna

My husband and children are Māori and I believe it is important for them to know their language so that they can stand strong in their heritage, I need to be able to help them on their reo journey as well on my own journey as an ECE Kaiako. It is my responsibility as tangata Tiriti to learn and understand not only the language but the culture.

Simone

Tīhei Mauri Ora! Ko Kohukohunui tōku maunga Ko Wairoa tōku awa Ko Maraetai tōku moana Ko Tainui tōku waka Ko Ngāi Tai tōku iwi. Ko Michelle ahau .

Michelle

Because as a Maori that is disconnected from her own culture its something that I need to participate in if not for myself but for my whanau and everyone

Wiki

Ki te kōrerotia, ka ora te reo

Vicki

Its an important part of my culture that I wasn't bought up on, I feel that I have missed out on so much, but its not to late.

Robyn

Because this is my country and this is the language of my country.

Lynda

I want to show the kids in my class that we are all equals and can all learn off each other.

Regan

As a migrant New Zealander, kaupapa Maori has supported me in finding my identity in this world. Aotearoa is where I call home and I believe that connecting deeper in the language will contribute to my sense of belonging. I want to carry this treasure wherever I go in the future.

Lovely

Why . . to honour my tipuna, and for me to be here today. . . why. . . because I believe in showing by example. . . why . . . we need to claim ourselves back.

Angie

I’m not alone in that I want to learn more about the history and identity of Aotearoa. It’s a fact that history snd language go hand-in-hand and we can all learn and gain a better understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi by working together and giving Te reo a go. Yes I’ll not be perfect and yes I’ll take time but at least I know I’m trying.

Shell

To learn alongside my students

Regan

I am learning Te Reo Māori to support my husband's Te Reo journey and to ensure my daughter grows up with her Reo and never feels unworthy to speak her mother tongue. She will know the language of her ancestors and feel proud to be Māori.

Greer

Its a beautiful language that needs to be protected and I do my best to live and breathe it in my classroom which is predominantly pakeha and a variety of cultures, but they LOVE learning te reo Māori :)

Quanita

I want to be able to kōrero Māori to help me connect me with my whakapapa. Also because we have a beautiful language that I would love to be able to use.

julie

As an Irish citizen living in NZ I know the value of having your native language

Claire

It's important to me, It's my entitlement, my birthright and bloodline. There are many things in which defines a person of why it's important to them I truly believe that connection is KEY that drives us toward something of great value. That is why I took part. It's something that is not ONLY valuable but an honour and privilege. xo

Milly

Passionate about honouring TTOW. Wanting tamariki to thrive in te ao Māori. Ensure te reo māori is thriving in Aotearoa .

Jacinta

Our language and whakapapa were passed down from our tupuna before us . A gift a taonga . We must treasure it , use and share it so it may never be lost . I am learning with my tamariki and proud they will know who they are and where they come from . kia kaha te reo maori

Daena

To learn so i can share this knowledge with my whanau and to korero with others

Nancy

To promote the beauty of our Reo, instill in my tauira a love and passion for learning their native tongue and growing the speakers within the next generation.

Alexia

Kei te hia ako ahau te reo o toku tupuna. Kei te ako ahaute reo mo toku tamariki me toku whanau hoki.

Sonya

It’s my birth right to know the reo and this was taken away from me, my matua and my koro. I’m learning so that me and my future generations will know te reo.

Samantha

I embrace my identity as 5th generation Pakeha I honour the tangata whenua I value the opportunity to further my knowledge of te reo Māori

Lisa

it is important to take part because this is our native language and protecting it is our duty

Tucker

To extend and acknowledge my te reo journey and highlight the importance of te ao Maori

Anna

As a kaiako in ECE I feel it is our role to empower tamariki and whānau to have mana in upholding and respecting tangata whenua and Te Tiriti o Waitangi. During these first most important years of life, we can foster positive attitudes towards our Māori ancestry and create a sense of whakamana, changing past views and healing the trauma of Aotearoa.

Mary

Kia rongohia ai te reo e rere ana i taku wāhi mahi.

Rangitihi

Kia hapai I etahi atu ki te Pakari I roto I to tātou reo Rangatira

Julie

200167230@akonga. twoa. ac. nz āo tirohanga māori noa mo te timatatanga i ngā mea kātoa. Whakaaroaro tēnei mea te kaupapa māori he mea rawe mō pāpātuanuku me ranginui, tā mātou tirohanga ki te aō pūtaiao, te tarake i oū wāwata, te hāngai ki ngā iwi taketake, te oropuare ō mātou, ngā rangona me ngā kupu whakarite e pā ana ki te taiao. He atāhua, rerehua toku kitenga me ngā rerekētanga o iā whakaaroaro ā haerengāmai mō ngā kātoatoatanga. I mea mai te tangata māori no hea koe, no wai koe, ka timata. . no _______ te whakautu. He hātakehi te tītiro, he turu kapa noiho ehara, he whakaritenga ki oū turu ki rawa ake! Noho Ora Mai Whānau!

Jenny

I have mokopuna who are of Māōri descent - I want their culture and identity to be affirmed by connecting to the language of their heritage

Tristan

Te reo rangatira is a taonga and is the birth right of all people from Aotearoa. Karawhiua e te iwi

Jacqui

Te tautoko i te kaupapa me aku tauira nō TKKM o Puau Te Moananui-a-Kiwa.

Koianake

It's important to me that our learners have an opportunity to ako, waiata, kōrero, whakarongo, tākaro & pānui whenever they are on campuses. We want to contribute to the success of this movement and to the do this we pledge to create opportunities and spaces for te reo Māori to thrive at Ara.

Tate

In honour of my tīpuna, my parents, my children, my mokopuna and myself. Also to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Klista

To be accountable to my committment to learning and using Te Reo Maori

Margaret

We are passionate about using te reo in our classrooms and helping our students be more connected to our culture and tikanga.

Cathie

Te Reo is important for whanaungatanga. I want to be able to connect effectively in my work place.

Kathy

For my whanau Ko Ngati Tuwharetoa, ko Ngati Porou nga iwi No Turangi au

George

Connecting to whānau in Aotearoa and being part of the country, even as i am far away in Kānata, is a part of who i am and learning te reo Māori grows from that heart. 💙🌀

dawn

I'm of Maori ethnicity, and it's about time I start truly embracing my culture and language :)

Sana

Learning Te Reo Māori is making me a better Kiwi.

Barry

It’s important to me because I have experienced being part of the Inter-Generational Trauma of loosing Te Reo Maori. I thank my pakeha mother who was bold enough to put my siblings and I into Bi-lingual unit, this was the foundation for my learning. I challenge myself in Mahuru Maori to Karakia and Mihi everyday

Brynn

I'm Maori, my tamariki are Maori, thier dad is Maori, my 2 older kids have done Kapahaka through school, my baby went to Kohunga, all 3 are learning te reo through school, my 5year old is in the bilingual unit, they can understand Maori, I can't, so I accepted the challenge, to teach my self the treaty in Te Reo 💯🔥

May

Te Reo is miharo! I want to continue my own te reo Māori journey and celebrate this amazing language.

Karen

Too remember my past, so I can't forward to my future.

Nardine

Te reo Māori is the original language of Aotearoa. It should be more widely used and accepted. Language is our identity. Language is our culture. Movements like this might help that cause.

Tanithe

I te mea ki au nei he kaupapa whakahirahira tēnei, e aroha ana au i tā tātau Reo Māori me tā tātau Tikanga, i tēnei wā e haere ana au ki runga i taku haerenga ki te ako i te Reo Māori me te Matauranga Māori, nō reira kia kaha rā ki te kōrero Māori i ngā wā katoa i ngā wāhi katoa 😀

Gina

Te reo Ko koe taku oranga Matariki kei runga E ramarama ana koe I ngā wā korekau ko koe E korengia ngā mea Nõ reirā ka moe i ngā rā Oho i ngā põ Kia tika tonu Ko koe taku oranga (x4)

Briony

For me to learn more reo not just for myself but also for my tamariki and to learn my background properly. . . maori tikanga is what i want to learn day by day

Mataara

As Māori to fill the part of me that I have always felt was missing.

Debbie

We will take part in some Te Reo lessons , and then try using what we have learnt in our daily conversations

Michele

To share our beautiful and unique language ensures its survival for generations to come.

Lavinia

To honour my tīpuna and my tama.

Sarah

Pūkaha National Wildlife Centre staff are kaitiaki for many taonga and it is becoming more important for those who work and visit Pūkaha to understand our culture, heritage and our past, so that we can ensure that our future will be stronger in the values passed on. One of our staff, Adam stated we all have passion for Pūkaha Providing A Safe Space In Our Ngahere = PASSION

Everlyne

I want to visit my son, his wife and new baby Maia in Brazil, and Māori vowels are the same there, so I can say some things. A grand-daughter said they were the same as in Europe too.

Deb

I grew up disconnected from my Māori family and have a yearning to belong, and understand my language and whakapapa.

Leah

He Māori ahau…. Āna! Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori! Koinā te “why” :)

Shari

I am on a journey to learn Te Reo and I am excited to join Aotearoa in this moment. I think it is really important for one of Aotearoa's national languages to be celebrated and supported. I want to be part of the change from an oppressed language to a embraced and celebrated language.

Imogen

This post is in moderation. Only you can see this because you are the author.

I am on a journey to learn Te Reo and I am excited to join Aotearoa in this moment. I think it is really important for one of Aotearoa's national languages to be celebrated and supported. I want to be part of the change from an oppressed language to a embraced and celebrated language.