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'

Korero I te Reo Maori ki āku mokopuna, Ki Taku tane, Ki Taku whanau Ki te whakaki I tō mātou kete o te Reo rangatira.

Jacqueline

“Children need a strong personal cultural identity, and before they can move forward with their own cultural identity, they need to have a strong understanding of what’s gone before,

Crystal

Ka kōrero au I roto I te reo mō kotahi hāora every day!

Kathleen

I raro i te maru o Te Kura Maengenge, kei te ako mātou i te reo Māori.

Te Atawhai
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These are my whys my beautiful grandchildren

Pearl

I certainly enjoyed 'Maori Club' as it was called many moons ago at primary school and I want to share my enthusiasm with my class.

Murray

I will be starting my level 2 journey, looking forward to sharing what I have learnt so far

Florrie

Ko ēnei āku tamariki me taku mokopuna. These are my children and my moko. Ōku tūmanako ka tipu rātou i raro i te korowai o te reo me Ngā tikanga Māori.

Nare
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Tamariki & kaiako enjoying our fortnightly kapa waiata with Mama Mate. #Tutiramai

Farren
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Ko Miramar Central mātou kura Kei Te Whanganui-a-Tara

Shivam
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Te Mihi mātahi o te tau hou māori. Te maringanui mātou o te tari o Te Ātea Mārino (Tari CADs Hāpori ki te kauparetia te tarukino) e whakanui ana te kaupapa whakahirahira ki tō Aotearoa whanui. Miharo taku mahi, ki te paohotia tēnei ki te ipurangi. Mānawatia tonutia te kahui whetu o Matariki Puanga.

Nikora

Get creative, get passionate and have fun - Mānawatia a Matariki!

Kataraina

I would share to my whanau and friends.

Jazmon

Being born and raised in Australia, I feel a certain degree of disconnection from my Maori culture. Although my whanau has taught me some Maori words and songs I want to learn more and be able to educate my future children.

Pania

Change my perception through te teo

Nicole

I want to help normalise te reo in mainstream media.

Wirihana

I believe it is important for me to be able to introduce myself and know more of the language in Te Reo as a sign of respect. I'm excited to learn!

Rebecca

I live in NZ, I want to learn our language, full stop. We should all know how to speak it, it is what makes NZ unique, I am excited to learn!

Michelle

It is important

Amber

Ko te reo te mauri o te Mana Māori.

Tarani

i want to learn to speak maori

te

I'm learning te reo Māori because my parents and grandparents weren't afforded the same opportunities so learn and speak the language. Amongst other things, it is my birthright. I want to be part of movement that's only going to make te reo Māori strong. Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori!

Eru

I have always had a passion for the reo maori I live it love and breath it

Tristan

To reclaim my cultural identity and be a role model for my daughter

Meisha

I want to pass our heritage on to my daughter and son. I was raised without it, and don’t want my children to grow up the same.

Laura

Kia Ora, My why is because growing up in a colonized country I now struggle to learn my language which sould be my first language & being spoken fluently. I want this for our rangatahi & future generations.

Storm

I am keen to learn to speak Maori. My grandchildren enjoy learning at school and I would like to support them

Jacqui
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A brief audio from the day I'd been in Aotearoa 40 years, thanking my colleagues at Tohorā House in Whangārei Terenga Paraoa for helping me with learning te reo Māori at the daily office karakia sessions during the last year.

Yahp

It is important to me to become a part of this movement because, I'm one of those maori that doesn't confidently know his pepeha, cannot speak maori confidently, and I feel like part of me is lost waiting to be found, and I want to find and reconnect with my maori heritage to better understand myself and the powerful line of chiefs I descend from, I feel this will better benefit me as a maori man, my tamariki, and the generations to come.

Tainui

Share our language and learn more to past on to next generations

Kerryn

Its culture, history, origin, spirituality, pride & unique.

Cameron

I want to connect with with my language and revive that part of who I am

Sharna

I love learning languages - and te reo is beautiful.

Mia

I want to help normalise te reo in mainstream media.

Wirihana

Being brought up in Aotearoa in the 70s with such little teaching of Te Reo I am on a journey of rediscovery, of history, language and culture. It's wonderful to be part of this movement.

Kristen

Due to the impacts of the Native Schools act on my tupuna and papa - the Reo in my whānau diminished. Subsequently in my adulthood, I have only basic Reo abilities. I'm committed to doing what I can to revive it.

Roger

Completing the picture of self, that is needing my reo Māori. Me he kawau aro maunga au.

Pauly

I am learning because it is important as a Pasifika person to learn and understand the reo of the land on which I live and was born in. It affirms my place as an ally to te reo Māori.

Talyn

Te reo is a taonga unique to our country, and I am proud to be able to learn and share it.

Katherine

Keen to u d’état and Te Reo

Lesley

There's a feeling in the pit of my being telling me there is freedom in te Ao Maori that I cant partake of in te Ao tauiwi.

Nena

Connection and be closer to my nan who passed away

Kelly

I am a primary school teacher and passionate about sharing Te Reo with my kura. After 20 years overseas it’s so great to come home.

Tara

Looking forward to the learning journey

Simon

I have a hard time expressing what te reo means to me. Without it, it feels like a part of me is missing. I feel split between worlds, and te reo helps me reclaim my true identity.

Elly

I was good te reo when I was around 5 then moved to my palangi side of my whanau and grew up with just English I wanna get back in to my reo side

Nikkita

I want to begin my journey with reconnecting with my whakapapa through learning Te reo Maaori.

Faith

My 'why' is that I want to be able to acknowledge people with our taonga that is our reo. I want to manaaki others and share views in te reo to express who I am and what l value, nga mihi.

Elana

Kia kaha te reo māori

Brooke

I feel something is missing I need to learn te reo to make myself whole.

Maria

Connection and sense of belonging

Kylee

Im ready to learn. I felt there is always been something missing. Its my Reo.

tracey

Kia ora, I feel a important Piece in my life missing. Pre-Covid I was on a journey in Te Reo Maori I could feel my tupunga and whanau awhi I felt that missing piece was that of my culture. Due to life challenges I keep putting it off but I know I need the push and drive to help my success only then I can pass this taonga to my tamariki. Nga mihinui Ray.

Raymond

My why, is my baby girl. I want my baby to understand and speak her reo. Also for my nan who wasn’t allowed to speak our reo growing up. Ngā mihi nunui!

Barbara

I have unsuccessfully tried several times to learn te reo but unsure why it didn't stick. Pono.

Rose

Nga mihi

Carleen

Keeping culture alive through te reo is exquisite. Now I like to know that word in reo.

Monette Lisa

The longing to speak the language of my tupana, the dream to korero with my whanau, a taonga to leave my children.

Renee

No Turanganuiakiwa au. I'm learning my tamariki dialect in Te Taitokerau. Ko Rongowhakaata me Ngati Kahungunu me Rongomaiwahine oku Iwi.

Janine

As a kaiako I believe it is crucial to be able to speak and teach te reo Māori to new generations. It is important that tamariki in Aotearoa know that Reo can be spoken by any and all people so that we can continue to grow the language

Jess

My goal is to help Aotearoa understand the importance of our Reo!

Matiaha

Developing a deeper understanding of Tangata whenua and the process of decolonisation

Angela

Ko te reo rangatira tōku honohono ki te Atua me ōku tipuna me ngā mea katoa i roto i te ao Māori, He kaiako i te reo au, Ko te whainga mōku ki te whakatipu te reo i roto i ngā rangatahi kia kaha ai rātou, Kia mohio ai rātou kō wai rātou, Māmā.

Apera

Driving the need for real usage of Maori - respecting Matauranga Maori when using it and reducing tokenism.

Su
Monique

I grew up not knowing my whakapapa, my entire culture lost to me. Now as an adult I want my tamariki and moko to know where they belong and who they belong to. I want to be able to share the stories of our tupuna and I have a strong desire to be able to korero māori; to scrape back what is mine and what is theirs in our journey ahead.

Sharon

He kaupapa nui tēnei ki ahau nā te mea, ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori. Ko taku waimarie ki te ako i Te Wānanga o Raukawa, kei reira i hoki mai ahau ki te ao Māori.

Jasmine

Kia ora, I am a tarara, (Dalmation) I am Croatian. my whanau immigrated in 1966 . However, history mentions that Dalmatians first immigrated around the 1890's and settled in the far north seeking gold, Dalmatians also banded together in the gumfields of the far north. There was significant intermarriage with local Maori women, especially in Kaitaia. I have lots of whaanau living up north and I am motivated to learn and speak te reo Maaori and strenthen connection with my whaanau living in the far north.

Peter

My why is for myself and my daughter, so that she doesn't go through the struggle that I am going through.

Ngahuia

Ko Kerry toku ingoa, Kia pai te ra!

Kerry

It's crucial to our identity.

Zenaida

Ko tāku reo tāku ohooho Ko tāku reo tāku mapihi maurea

Aroha

Piriponotia I roto i ngā mahi Mahi tūpuna, mahi wairua hoki Kia mārama ai, te hinengaro o te iwi Māori Aue me honoa Ngā hau e wha o te motu I te ara whakaaro nui Mō tātou tātou

Sophie
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这是一个关于自我介绍的视频，我讲了我的家里有几口人，家庭情况，和父母从事的工作。

gavin

He taonga te reo. Our reo gives us belonging, it ties us to our tūpuna, whenua, whānau, hapū, iwi. Ka ora ai te reo, ka ora ai te iwi Māori.

Narise

Kia Ora This is Rameka Nichols from Te Kura O Nooera( Nawton School)

Rameka

Ko taku tino whāinga kia whakatipu Aku tamariki i te ao Māori kia Māori ai to matou ao katoa

Te Hereikiha

Kia Ora , I’m a very Maori registered nurse returned from living Hong Kong after thirty years . I’d love to learn Maori just moved to Tauranga are there any university or course in Te Reo Maori that I could learn Maori

Lizzy

My Moko will be around a lot of Reo so I want to be a model and to talk to her and her other side of the Whanau . I am also going back to teaching so I am aiming to teach a bi lingual class.

Chris

To strengthen my reo alongside my son and whānau and to strengthen my personal identity as Māori.

Sean

I’m on this journey for my children and my moko. I was raised to believe that te reo māori would only disadvantage me in life so sadly, I allowed that same thing to happen to my children. Now I see that not knowing the reo is the real disadvantage for all of us.

Larissa

It is a language that is part of my Heritage and yet I dont speak it

Nicky

I have realized that it's important to learn a new language and understand the culture that comes with it

Lazarus

te reo maori has been a big part of my life as it is surrounded, and it is involved with my average daily life. kapa haka, the reo itself and I've always been fascinated about my culture.

jeulius

I want to join the maori language movements to get to learn more

Kyssiah

I think it is important for New Zealanders to learn more Te Reo Maori.

Chris

🍃In January 2023 I went to my Mothers Homeland in Whirinaki for the first time. I am 62 years old & stayed @ Pakanae Marea with Penehio Whanau via invitation as our mothers were sisters. We knew each other during 1960s to early 1970s then in 1978 I moved to Australia & have lived here ever since. I have 5 children. Three were born in Australia & two in Auckland New Zealand but all have lived here with me all their lives. Now I have 8 mokopuna who want to know what & who I am & how they fit into my whanau. There is always a new question & learning for us all. So, the waiata above is one we learnt in January 2023 & before we return hoping with some of my tamariki in December 2023 to meet & reunite with Penehio Whanau🍃

Margaret

Proud to be maori. Te reo was first language spoken to me by my kuia and koroua. I need my reo back for the mahi i do.

Te Ari

It’s an incredibly beautiful and relevant language and it makes me feel more grounded and rooted in this whenua.

Alastair

I have always been drawn to Mātauranga Māori. As a Pākehā I often struggle with feeling connected to a culture as the European culture is very isolating and shallow. I am now wanting to connect with the Māori culture as it feels true and right and as a Kiwi is something I would love to lean into.

Tyne
Shaun

My father was the only person who was passed down the tikanga and reo from his grandmother, all of the other whanau turned their back on te ao Māori because of the trauma they faced. My father tried to share the kaupapa with me when I was young but I never really listened. My goal is now learn as much reo and tikanga as possible and share it with other New Zealanders to honour my whakapapa and also show dad that I didn’t turn my back on him. I think all New Zealanders should be able to speak at least some our reo, because it is such a taonga that we are lucky to have. I am struggling with the opportunity to learn reo Māori at this point in my life but I am trying my best and want to connect with people on a similar path to my own.

Tori

To be more confident in understanding and speaking te reo.

Cheryl

Im passionate about te reo maori all my children have been brought up in kohanga reo an te kura kaupapa i would love to be able to speak fluently

Erica

Kia Ora, I want to be culturally confident. What does that look like? for me it is being able to speak Te Reo, know and understand my Whakapapa. Be able to pass on to the next generation or at least encourage them it is never to late.

Tania

It is part of my heritage And I’m proud to be maori

Te Rina

To make my whanau proud, to respect my ancestry and to teach my children and others te reo

Jen

I te wa ka kite ahau i tetahi kupu hou ki ahau i roto i te reo Maori ka tuhituhi i taua kupu i roto taku pukapuka.

Peter

He tangata Tāwhiti ahau ā i whakapakeke ahau i Aotearoa nei. Ehara te reo Māori i tōku kōrero matua engari kei te ako ahau i a ia, ka tītohu ahau i tōku aroha ki tērā reo whāngai nōku.

Raŋe

Learning te Reo Māori is so rewarding. Not only does it keep your brain active, but it helps to look into how others see and experience the world. My husband and I have been learning since 2018, and the more we learn, the more humble we feel, and the less we realise we know. I imagine unless you have been born and brought up in te Ao Māori, you are always going to be manuhiri, learning and experiencing, but what a privilege it is to have this opportunity.

Andrea