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'

"Ma te kotahitanga e whai kaha ai tātau". "In unity we have strength".

Teresa

As an EC kaiako I believe it is my mahi to ako the language and culture with my ngā tamariki.

Tegan

In 1985 after being privileged to be part of te ao Maori in 1973, I became a citizen of Aotearoa and took my Official Oath in te reo Maori. Partly to honour the beautiful kaumatua who had mentored me and because I was and still am passionate to be part of the revival and saving of te reo rangatira. Language is who you are; it is a living link between you and your tupuna and if you can encourage your tamariki it will be your link to their future too. Kia Kaha te reo! This year I will be with the kaumatua kuia o Waipareira and we will be doing a whole range of things for 2023 Maori Moment. Karakia, Korero, Waiata, Whakatauki. And, of course we will share kai. :-)

Lynda

I grew up in a bilingual environment, speaking English and Irish/Gaelic. I understand how a language connects you to your home, your people and your culture. This is why I support te reo Māori

Brendan

The language is so poetic, I just love it. I always wanted to learn but access was not readily available until the last 4-5 years. Love learning and understanding the place names in New Zealand.

Helen

Tikanga Māori reflects good value and I believe that we can learn a lot from Māori People: respecting and caring for the Whenua and Te hanga a te Atua (God's Creation)

Nikki

Ensuring our mokopuna and generations beyond are first-language speakers of te reo Maori

Carole

I'm taking part because it's a beautiful language and it's part of who we are, as a country. Let's celebrate that! "Ehara toa i te toa takitahi, engari, he toa takitini" – My success (or my strength) is not that of a single person but instead the strength of many.

Paulette

Kia Ora Maori Family

Terei Junior

E iti noa ana nā te aroha

I am doing the Te Reo course and so my commitment is ako (learn) which I need to keep doing so I can engage in more korero (speak) with confidence

Rhianon

I want to be able to contribute to the celebration of Te Wiki o Te Reo and Te Ao Māori along with many of my colleagues.

Yvonne

I love learning about traditional Māori knowledge, history and wisdom through the joyful medium of waiata :)

Kate

I am truly blessed and humbled to continue my journey to embrace the reo and have the confidence to use it in everyday situations. I am Māori and I am unique to Aotearoa. True Story!

Sheena

Ko Hokianga toku moana Ko Tauhara toku maunga Ko Ngati tuwharetoa toku iwi Ko Tainui toku Waka Ko Taniora ahau Tihei mauri ora! My vision is this, to bring unity and harmony to all . I truly feel that Te Ao Maori is the key 🔑 to life. Once I am fluent I will be an indomitable force and I will have my mana back . We are here to show the people of the world their story that lives on through us for we our maori people made the journey for them. Let's show them how awesome we are and remind them how amazing their knowledge wairua culture aroha can be.

Taniora

Ia wiki ia wiki kai te kōrero au ki tāhaku whānau. I dream of a time where we all use te reo in our everyday communication in our sport, community and cafe. I roto i te wā tuku reo kai te kōrero au ki āku hoa mahi.

Sheena

Taking back my reo for me and my whanau. Giving me the confidence to korero kore whakama.

Jena

I teach in a bilingual akomanga and I am excited to be on a journey of learning Te Reo with our tauira.

Keri

I want to continue my reo journey for my tūpuna and our future generations. Māuri ora! 🤙🏻

Az Maraea

Te reo Māori is a beautifully rhythmic language that takes you on a journey of feelings with every kupu. Why wouldn't you want to learn, share and grow te reo Māori in your workplace, home, and your community. Kia kaha te reo Māori!

Michelle
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My why is to support the use of Te Reo maori me ona Tikanga in our day to day work lives

Rangiuaia

Mō kā uri ā muri ake nei

Carrie

Tēnā kotou katoa Ko Angela Shailer tōku ingoa. I whānau mai ahau i Waihōpai, kei te noho au ki Te Papaioea I have always loved listening to speakers of te reo and have always wanted to learn more than we were taught in primary school. Last year I took my first te reo course, learning more about the language and culture. I am lucky enough to have friends and work colleagues, who are fluent speakers, to help me practice and become more confident using te reo in everyday life.

Angela

I have a strong connection to Māori culture. A big part of this was my schooling through the 80s and 90s in Taranaki. Regular waiata at school assemblies, te reo classes, school haka training and Maori art. I loved and respected it and didn’t realize how lucky I was at the time to have the experience and support from the Waitara community. Doing our OE separated me from connecting with it and now we are back in Aotearoa and bringing up young kids, we celebrate Māori by doing karakia Kai every night, te reo card games in the rainy weekends, matariki and waiata on the radio. My why is to create the connection of Maori culture for our kids. It’s in their identity.

Daniel

Ia wiki ia wiki kai te kōrero au ki tāhaku whānau. I dream of a time where we all use te reo in our everyday communication in our sport, community and cafe. I roto i te wā tuku reo kai te kōrero au ki āku hoa mahi.

Sheena

I love being in the Kapa Haka group

Aroha

Champion to reo and get everyone more confident in using it and becoming a natural part of our conversations.

Hilary

He tino ataahua te reo Māori! Kia mau tonu tātou.

Coralie

My why are the mokopuna in our family, and showing them and my own children that Māori language and culture is a vital part of my world, and that our lives can only be enriched by taking part in this culture, embracing it and protecting it's importance for them.

Lily

We often sing Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi in the NZ Experience classes I teach. The international students love it and it is a great way for them to learn Te Reo.

Cecilia

Love maori songs

Haylee

At Te Kura o Otangarei we celebrate our Reo everyday through kōrero, waiata, karakia, mihi, tīkanga and we are encouraging our tamariki to be proud of their culture and heritage. Many whānau have become urbanised through colonisation over time and some who are Māori don't yet have knowledge of their pepeha, whakapapa and reo. This creates whakama for many of our whānau. We do our best to work with our local people and mana tangata to share the history/ pepeha of our area and create a safe place/hub where Whānau feel they belong/can connect and can come and learn alongside their tamariki. I feel proud of our Kura and the journey that we are on in celebrating who we are each and every day. I look forward to celebrating together alongside our Community next week in unity.

Danelle

At Te Kura o Otangarei we celebrate our Reo everyday through kōrero, waiata, karakia, mihi, tīkanga and we are encouraging our tamariki to be proud of their culture and heritage. Many whānau have become urbanised through colonisation over time and some who are Māori don't yet have knowledge of their pepeha, whakapapa and reo. This creates whakama for many of our whānau. We do our best to work with our local people and mana tangata to share the history/ pepeha of our area and create a safe place/hub where Whānau feel they belong/can connect and can come and learn alongside their tamariki. I feel proud of our Kura and the journey that we are on in celebrating who we are each and every day. I look forward to celebrating together alongside our Community next week in unity.

Danelle

As a Tūhoe living under the shelter of Te Ātiawa in Mawaihākona I will learn and share pūrākau connected to this whenua. I am committed to showing my four tamariki their Tūhoetana whilst respecting the mana motuhake me rangatiratanga o Te Ātiawa.

Karaitiana

Anei tāku whainga mo te reo Māori. . . . E ai ki tāku moko "E reri ana ahau mo te mahi". E ai ki ahau "Haere koe ki te kohanga bei" Ktk

Terri

Tēnā koutou katoa Ko Tēri tōku ingoa Ko Ngati Porou tōku iwi

Strive

Wānanga Waiata ki Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Te Rangi ❤️

Hinemoa
Arohanoa

To tautoko te reo Maori I am in the process of completing my Poupou te huia Maori studies course. Kia ora

Tyela

Ko aku tamahine tēnei. I feel compelled to learn my reo because of my girls.

Emma

We are all on this waka of learning together for our future generations

Chelsea

To promote the language for my moko

Judith

My why is keeping the reo alive for all New Zealanders and getting all tamariki involved in the beauty of our wonderful native reo

Hilary

I'll be putting what I'm currently learning from my course into practice to strengthen my reo and share my knowledge with my whānau & colleagues.

Kristy

I'm on a journey to bring awareness and curiosity of Te Ao Māori to my work and to my team. THis means sharing a daily Maramataka, using pūrakau in our workshops and meetings, and intention sharing with whakatauki. Koekoe te Tui, e ketekete te kākā, e kūkū te kereru. All the voices and songs of the birds are different, and all valid, no one voice is greater. We all have a voice or song worthy of being heard.

Lily

I want to strengthen my kōrero to support my two youngest tamariki to become fluent.

Eileen

Kia kaha korokoro

Rodrigo

I'm taking part in the Māori language movement because it's a beautiful language, filled with so much depth and meaning hidden within seemingly simple kupu (words). When you delve deeper and grasp these intricacies, you truly appreciate the exquisite nature of this language. Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori – making the language stronger

stacie

I'm taking part in the Māori language movement because it's a beautiful language, filled with so much depth and meaning hidden within seemingly simple kupu (words). When you delve deeper and grasp these intricacies, you truly appreciate the exquisite nature of this language. Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori – making the language stronger

stacie

Strengthen self-identity and Kahungunutanga in our kura

Jo

As tauiwi, I feel it's so important to uphold the values of Te Tiriti and ensure all our tamariki, young and old, understand and respect this. Learning and speaking Te Reo Māori is one way I can try to help spread this kaupapa.

Emily

I was drawn to Te Ara Taiohi Whakatapua Kia Ora Ai Youthline as an organization to mahi with as I felt their deep understanding of the importance inclusion and diversity plays in supporting positive outcomes for youth mental health and wellbeing. As just one small dot of a growing collective, I am here to embrace and enhance my own Te Reo Māori journey, and collaboratively support others as we take this journey together - Nā to rourou, nā taku rourou, ka ora ai te iwi

Megan

Learning to kōrero māori through Te Awa Māori and Waka Kotahi has been an exciting part of my year, we're so lucky to have amazing kaiako and many colleagues in support of our journey.

Katie

I grew up not speaking Rarotongan or te reo Maori. I am of Cook Island Maori descent. I have 10 grandchildren n I would like to learn the basics properly in te reo Maori n utilize the kupu Hou I have learnt to teach. my. mokopuna too, so they can feel pride in their language, culture n whakapapa. They won't have to feel bad learning what is their truth, their identity n where they belong n come from?

Rosa

My why is to reclaim and celebrate the language that my nana was not allowed to speak. This is such an important kaupapa and I will represent it proudly.

Morgan

Aotearoa is our Country and Te Reo Maori is our mother tongue. I am doing this because this a part of our country, supporting this kaupapa and supporting our kura o BLENNZ. I want all Tangata to be proud of everything Maori. Holistic and Language Wise. Te Ao ki te Mauri Ora. Our Life Essence is our World. Kia kaha ki te Tū o te Aō Maori! ! !

Lucille

It is our first language as a nation and through te reo we can see te ao Māori with more clarity and distinction.

Joanne

My why is my Tamaiti, he starts Kohanga soon and I am nearly at the end of completing my Level 2 Te Reo Māori Certificate. Being māori makes me feel special and unique and I am proud of that. So it is my goal that by the time my son is at Kura I will be fluent. Surrounding myself with anything kaupapa māori helps me be in environments to korero māori. So im here for it all :)

Jayda

New Zealand in my opinion is one of the best countries because of how free we are, and at Korokoro we are still given that feeling of 'free' to go and choose our path that we want to take. .

Hatty

I will use te reo in my class with my tamariki, at home with my whānau not just for the week but every day of the year.

Debbie

My pākehā Nan learnt Te Reo after she retired from farming and bought some land off the late rangatira Monte Rereamoamo Ohia. Never too old to learn!

Shane

Ko tōku reo, tōku ohooho Ko tōku reo, tōku māpihi maurea Ko tōku reo, tōku whakakaimārihi

Tawhiri

Kia kaha Korokoro!

Amy

I want to continue my learning journey and speak more reo around the office. I am going to learn more office related kupu and use them everyday.

Gemma

Mō tātau, a, mō kā, uri ā muri, are nei. For us and our children after us. It starts with us teaching our pepi, we want to be genuine, authentic and weave it in to our daily practice.

Kim

I'm excited to support the Māori Language Movement and especially looking forward to the launch of the Manapou App!

Shona

Mā mātou e ako i ētehi waiata hou

Maria

I am making a commitment to increase my use of te reo in the workplace and out in the community.

Carol

Kia Kaha Korokoro

Denise

Because it's important.

Rochelle

I'm learning Te Reo Māori because I believe it will help cultivate a more inclusive New Zealand identity, where every Kiwi feels a sense of belonging. This journey is about fostering unity through language, knitting together a diverse tapestry of cultures into a stronger national fabric. With each step I take in learning, I'm contributing to a vision of Aotearoa where all Kiwis can stand together with pride.

Louie

I have been on haerenga for two years now of learning te reo maori and I would love to hear it spoken more in public just not on the marae

Jono

I started in Kohanga and as I grew up I stopped speaking the reo at home and slowly lost it. Now that I have had my tamariki I want our reo to be heard more in our whare. So have taken up learning te reo again with Te Wananga o Aotearoa. I am speaking more reo at home now with my tamariki and bringing back certain tikanga also.

Roxanne

To make the change for the future because of the past

Michelle

I want to learn more so that I can be part of the change and help celebrate te ao māori

Alex

To make a difference. To be me.

Tracey
Aroha

A new beginning, a new way of living. Embrace the culture and proud to be Māori.

Fiona

I want to be part of a public service that walks the talk on valuing and supporting our country's unique culture and the people and language at the heart of that. And I want to help create an Aotearoa that celebrates and spreads te reo for my young child to be part of as she grows.

Kitty

Kia kaha on your te reo journey

Jacqui

My why is my children - I want them to grow up in a New Zealand where they can speak and understand te reo Maori because it's important to recognise that this is one of our official languages.

Leonie

Kia Ora ngā Tangata ō ReoMāori! Kei te pîrangi au I te ako reo ō Āotearoa to ensure our language stays alive, to ensure our children and grandchildren know where they came from and all aspects of their culture are such a important part to who they are.

Lori

I do kapa haka every wednesday and i do te reo as well and i really enjoy it!

Mary

I am a North Borneo native — Kadazan indigenous ❤

Angelicia

This was my mum Batnana and I on our way back from another round of chemo 🤗 this is how my mum faced her fear - head on and with a smile 💕 Kia kaha te reo Māori 💕

Char

As tangata tiriti and a mother of Māori children it is super important for me to learn, speak, normalise, and celebrate te reo Māori whenever I can.

Gemma

Ka whakaakoako tonu au tō tātou reo Māori, ka whakapakari ai, e tāku whaikōrero i runga i te paepae. I will keep learning our Māori language in order to strengthen my oration on the paepae.

Hōhepa

I am taking my Te ao Māori learning journey with Takatū, and it is exiting to learn a new culture and reo.

Hugh

To revitalise te reo Māori in our whānau, and in our kura tuatahi.

Hōhepa

Te Ao Maori is rich with wisdom and customs that inspire me in my life. Te Reo Maori is unique to Aotearoa, and I am proud to learn and teach the reo as a kaiako.

Nicky

i want to incoparate more maori in my every day life "I pehea to ra"? how was your day

Ela

Ko te Reo Māori te mauri o te mana Māori. He mātuatua te Reo Māori ki a Rangitāne o Tamaki nui-ā-Rua. Koia te tūāpapa e kawe nei i ngā ahatanga Māori katoa a Rangitāne o Tamaki nui-ā-Rua.

Teriaki

i will be incorporating reo in my every day living, speaking it to my moko and encouraging my whanau to speak it to, I will also be relabeling items in my whare with reo

Tara

My why is for my future mokopuna, in order for us to have them as fluent speakers it starts with us one day at a time, our language is a taonga and I want to restore it to my whānau

Kaela

Because te reo Māori is a taonga, it’s an important part of our culture (Māori and Pākehā) and it’s part of what makes us who we are!

Michelle

I would like to take part because Māori is me and our language is Te Reo taking part in things that involve my culture are very important because this way I can learn more

Cassidy

To reclaim our own identity as Māori through any medium. To decolonise my Māori world!

Chrystal