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'

Sharing waita with nga tamariki to promote a love of learning the language

Megan

English is not my first language, I am culturally Lithuanian but was not encouraged to learn the language, and it has been largely lost to me. However Te Reo is accessible to be and is important part of my identity as a New Zealander.

Ray

We will be encouraging our tamariki to be involved as te reo Māori is part of who we all are as New Zealanders - no matter what race we identify with.

Renee

It’s important to me keep our language alive to learn myself an pass onto my kids as , it was not passed onto me due to my grandparents generation being beaten for speaking it their first language which in turn it skipped 2 generations an im stopping that . It’s our identity, our culture and I won’t let that Taonga disappear again.

Naez

It is so important to embrace and cherish the tonga of Te Reo .

Sue

For me Māoritanga and Te Reo are at the heart of Aotearoa. I want to contribute to making bicultural NZ real & strong. The essence of me is nurtured by this strong awakening.

Maree

I am a teacher and I know how importay it is for our nga tamariki to kay the bery essential foundations of language acquisition. Music is my effective tool in teaching them the language andnour tamariki really enjoys the music time I have with them

Alma

I am an educator and it is my obligation to honor Te Tiriti o Waitangi to keep Te Reo alive in Aotearoa. I come from Te Waipounamu and my partner is Ngai Tahu, so it is important for my whanau too.

Ben

Ko te reo Māori te tuapapa o tōku ao, he taonga tuku iho nō ngā tupuna. Mā te kōrero ka whai mana tō tātou nei reo.

kaareen

Māori are the people of this land. Te Reo Māori is the language of this land. Understanding of tikanga, of Te ao Māori is through Te Reo Māori

Heather

Preservation of Te Reo is important because we need the right words to express kaupapa Maori.

Jenifer

I love te reo Māori

Karleen

Ko wai au. It’s part of me, and my identity. It’s my responsibility to learn. I want to honour my tipuna, to korero with my whanau and empower my rangatahi.

Joanne

Kia Ora, My Journey in Te Reo started with my exposure in Waka Ama through my Rowing Club. Having the opportunity to Camp at Lake Karapiro for the nationals in 2019/2020 and then representing Tuakau college at the J19 Regionals for 2021. . . . and winning gold for the team whilst delivering as the captain, coach and lead of the Waka certainly opened my horizons in this area. What an experience it has been and this is only the beginning. . . I will continue to grow and learn in space and embrace Te Reo as much as I can in every day life. Nga Mihi Nui

Ryan

To learn more about my own culture and identity and encourage others to learn the beautiful, native language of Aotearoa

Joanne

My main focus would be to help the rangatahi with their hauora. I would like to help share our ways of getting better without the use of drugs given from the system. I plan to bring back old remedies through teachings myself, given through koha like the old ways. A cup of tea a cake or a fish 😁 Lastly I think I would like to emphasise to our younger generation how important it is to respect your elders and abide by the rules of Ihoa. This can and does help change our world. This is my passion. Kia Ora 🌝💛❤️💗✨🌞

Shannen

To keep learning is important our language is who we are

Westeria

Because my ancestors were not allowed to speak Māori.

Amelia

Arahoe Team Teina are paddling our waka under the banner of our school whakataukī 'He waka eke noa' to support the movement to normalise Te Reo in Aotearoa. We love kai and we thought it a simple and fun excuse for us to have a virtual kaitahi/shared kai, say karakia together, have some online whanaungatanga and practise Māori words and phrases. Our goal is to set an example for our tamariki, role model how Te Reo can be used anywhere, and that its fun to learn with friends and whānau. Kia Kaha Te Reo!

Lois

Arahoe Team Teina are paddling our waka under the banner of our school whakataukī 'He waka eke noa' to support the movement to normalise Te Reo in Aotearoa and help break the record for this kaupapa. We love kai and we thought it a simple and fun excuse for us to have a virtual kaitahi/shared kai, say karakia together, have some online whanaungatanga and practise Māori words and phrases. Our goal is to set an example for our tamariki, role model how Te Reo can be used anywhere, and that its fun to learn with friends and whānau. Kia Kaha Te Reo!

Lois

To help revitalise our beautiful language and culture for our tūpuna and our mokopuna. Whaea Dasha

Dasha

It is important for me to take part in this kaupapa because when I was a little girl i remember how my nan used to tell me stories of how she was beaten for talking te reo māori. So I do this because she couldn't, and because of what happened to her, all of her 10 children grew up without any reo or any cultural connectedness. Kia ora.

Malia-ana

I feel so lucky as a pakeha New Zealander to know that this land's people have such a beautiful language and culture and that we are privileged to be able to share that.

Kelly-Ann

because te reo Māori is a taonga

Annie

I'm a kiwi from a number of different migrant groups, and learning some te reo is an opportunity to understand and show respect for those who were here first. I also want to be able to do meaningful engagement with Māori groups in my work, and growing my te reo Māori capability is a good step in this direction.

Seth

To learn more about my home country I have lived in for 31 years

susie

"Ko taku reo taku ohooho, ko taku reo taku mapihi mauria" "My language is my awakening, my language is the window to my soul"

Cherrie

Te Reo Māori is a most beautiful language - I love hearing it and I'd like to hear more of it, from all of us - it's as simple as that. Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori!

Keir

Kia ora koutou Tuu ana au ki runga o Taupiri maunga Kauria i ngaa wai o Waikato Te waka tupuna ko Tainui Ko Cherrie Brougham tooku ingoa

Cherrie

Whaowhia te kete mātauranga - Fill the basket of knowledge

Julie

As a Maori Te Reo is an integral part of our Whakapapa

Sugar

I know how important the Māori language is to National identity, and I'm SO proud to be driving it in my small part, alongside the incredible people here in Southern Cross. My why is that I see this as a way to connect us all, in one moment, to be the spark that keeps the flame glowing. It's what makes us special.

rudo

Because we want our tamariki to know that they are important, just as te reo is in early childhood

Fa'amanu

My Journey In Te Reo comes from the exposure I received whilst supporting my son's Journey through Waka Ama through his club at later at college. The first year at camp for Waka Ama, 2019 @ Lake Karapiro was a challenge for me as a parent. This followed the 2020 camp and my exposure continued into how beautiful the language is. My journey continued with my son, who was the captain, coach and leader of the Waka at this years J19 nationals and it was such a proud moments that they got "GOLD" for Tuakau College.

Renuka

It's important for the tamariki to see all kaiako as learners and to engage them in the beautiful language of Te Reo Maori.

Rachel

He tino taonga te reo, mena ka mohio au toku reo ka taea e au te ako aku tamariki.

Hokioi

I Ako Ahau Te Reo Maori Mo Te Waiata, Korero, Me te Panui.

Blaire

Na te mea, ka korero Maori ahau i nga wa katoa.

Tamara

I want to learn te reo Maori because it's my culture and so the language lives on. I think its important for me to keep learning te reo Maori because my kuia, Nanny Mere, wanted me to learn.

Teuamonehu

Na te mea, ka korero Maori ahau i nga wa katoa.

Tamara

Na te mea, ka korero Maori ahau i nga wa katoa. I ako ahau i te Reo Maori. He pai te Reo Maori

Tamara

As a primary School teacher many tamariki come without knowing their whakapapa or identity. Its important that everyone knows who they are and where they come from. I take great pride in helping tamariki discover their identity and from this basis grow, language helps us in that growth.

mark

I think it's important to learn te reo Maori so our language doesn't die and so it gets stronger. I like learning te reo because to me, it's easier than learning English. I wanted to learn te reo because I'm Maori and it's important for us to learn our language.

rangiiria

He pai te kura. He pai rawa atu te korero Maori. He pa te takaro kemu Maori me aku hoa.

Bomn

My "why" is a "why not?" contribute to the korero. Te Reo is our first language in Aotearoa and should be treated as a taonga and as an essential part of everyday life so that Te Tiriti can be fully implemented in the language it was written in. He kākano puipuiaki i Te Reo. The language is a precious seed.

Ngarie

Maori Sign Concepts Development, Toku Pepeha - 2021

Richard

As a New Zealander I need to be comfortable with all of the cultures that make up our country, especially the tangata whenua. I also have young mokopuna who speak Te Reo and its a great way for me to connect with them.

peter

Ko te reo Maori he taonga i tuku iho mai o tatou tupuna. Kaore e matou kia wareware tenei taonga. He mea tino nui ma tatou ki te hapai te reo maori, whakapakari te reo me ona tikanga.

nikora

Ko te reo maori toku reo rangatira

hoani

Ka tautoko au i te kaupapa, tohaina i to tātau reo. . . . .

Stacey

Its something I should have done a long time ago, now my adult children are pretty good with the language and the better they get with the language, the more they know about part of their culture and I need to catch up.

Hugh

Maori Sign Concepts Development. Learning te reo Rotatota.

Richard

Maori culture is special and unique to Aotearoa and should be pioneered to be uphelp and promoted. In modern society we face many challenges personally and as a whole. We can learn valuable insights from Maori culture to apply to our daily lives.

Jack

To help all the different people in NZ unite under a Te Reo umbrella. Irrespective of language or culture, we can all connect on mutual ground in Te Reo.

Corli

It is very important to learn Te reo Maori as it enrichens our enviroment and connects us to keeping the reo alive and thriving , for generations to come we need to preserve the reo and share it with all that reside here in Aotearoa .

YOUR PLACE- To wahi

Normalisation! Ka kōrerohia au i te reo. Ka akongia au i te reo me te ao. Ka waiatatia au i te reo.

Lyn

I want more Kiwis to understand the Māori worldview, so it can play a bigger part in shaping our country. Karawhuia!

Alice

NZSL week 2021. This morning was a very special time for Deaf Aotearoa and the Deaf Community. We had a blessing and unveiled a beautiful carving done for us by the Master carver John Rua. We are truly honoured to have such a significant piece carved by a Deaf master carver for our Deaf organisation! Thank you John Rua. Thank you Richard Tuhorouta Peri for your leadership and work to make this morning come together. Thank you to all who joined us this morning. right-Whiti Ronaki, John Rua, Lachlan Keating and Richard Peri

Richard

My drive is that I don't want my mokopuna to live in a world where they don't feel part of it. I want to be able to share with my moko our culture and our language and to do that I have to immerse myself in kaupapa such as this one so that I have the confidence to learn these things to be able to share it confidently with the next generation.

Cora

I believe its important that we all contribute towards keeping Maori language part of daily life for all of Aotearoa, it's a beautiful language that we should be proud of and we need to protect it and nurture it.

Heidi

Wishing to support any movement to keep the Maori language alive as a dynamic source of cultural identity.

Andrea

Awhi ngā wāhine māori me onā whānau ki te korero māori, ki te ako I tona pepeha, ki te ako ngā karakia.

Tania

I feel our nation should be a bilingual / bicultural nation and we are far from it. It drives me to take part as this is part of the movement. One day we will get there and this is one of many ways to be heard.

Simon

I love to learn new language and its the culture

Etha

Whakamanawatia tāku son son.

Rose

Whakamanawatia tāku son son.

Rose

Ka ako ahau Te Reo. Ko te Reo te reo tuatahi ki Aotearoa. Ko Te Reo ka kawe ia te hā hoki iho o Te Ao Maōri. Kāore Māori. Kāore Māori toto. Ko Tararā ahau. Tata. Ngā mihi

Pāpā Rāwiri David

To support the stanability of Te Reo Maori me Tikanga maori

Myrtle

Ahakoa he kura aoraki mātou, ka whai tonu mātou ki te hāpaitia ngā tikanga me ōna reo rangatira i tuku iho. I te timatanga o ia rā, ka karakia ia akomanga, me tuku mihimihi, me waiata. I mua i ia wā kai, ka karakia hoki mātou. Ko ta matou pirangi ki te hono ki tēnei haerenga - mau tonu ki te tino ahurea o Aotearoa, hei whakamana ia tamaiti Māori, ia whānau Māori, ki te tohaina te tirohanga Māori ki ngā tini hapori. I te wā tonu nei, kei te rāhui-a-kainga mātou - hei zui o mātou akomanga ki te kitea i a mātou - ko te mea whakahirahira - te haumaru o o mātou whānau, manaakitia o mātou katoa. Even though we are a mainstream school with a reo-rua - all of our kaiako and classes absolutely support tikanga and Te Reo Māori - we're joining the Reo Movement because it's another way to uplift te reo me ona tikanga - that which we follow on the daily. At the moment up here in Tamaki we are still in lockdown - seeing each other via zui - still starting our daily meets with karakia - it's about giving mana to our Māori tamariki and whānau -to help repatriate and rematriate - to help grow their pride in their taha Māori - and in doing so sharing our amazing world view with all of our whānau and communities. Mauri ora te reo, mauri ora te tikanga, mauri ora ki a tātou katoa! ! ! !

Philomena

He whakapapa, He aroha, He rangatiratanga. Ko au te tauira i tuku mai i aku tupuna ki o raatau mohiotanga. It is important for the next generation to be connected to their land/whenua so they know to take care of the earth that helps nourish and feeds them, to take care of our water to preserve marine life so that those species do not go extinct. To take care of our elderly as they have lived through history of change. To take care of our hinengaro our mental wellbeing keeping our thoughts positive and uplifting. To read so they become knowledgeable about different kaupapa that is happening in our country and others. To seek understanding so that we can support each other in manaakitanga.

Moana

To support this kaupapa

Gannin

To develop and learn to become a more fluent TeReo Māori speaker 2 hours a day

Reina

For our reo to be normalised, practiced and spoken for our tamariki mokopuna for many years to come.

Rachel

Kia ora - as a Pākehā New Zealander, my why in learning Te Reo is to acknowledge my role as a treaty partner, respecting the role of mana whenua. Also as a kaitiaki for my mokopuna, who's whakapapa connects them to iwi and hapu of Te Tairāwhiti.

Tim

Keeping te reo strong is important to me and my whānau, to celebrate and connect to our heritage. Kia kaha te reo Māori!

Lenore

We are all from our own unique cultures and highly value cultural diversity. We recognise language as integral to a culture and fear the loss of a language is a huge loss of culture too, which leads to people feeling lost with their identity. We can learn so much from each other when we take time to learn and understand different cultures. Māori culture is unique to New Zealand and shapes the identity of all New Zealanders. We are very proud of this and don't want to see it diminished through loss of language.

Catrin

Bernie

He kupu tuku iho ki tēnei reanga, whakarongo…

Wayne

"Amohia ake te ora, ka puta ki te whei Ao. To protect the wellbeing is paramount ". He tongikura , na Tuheitia Potatau te Wherowhero V11. Ma too taatou reo rangatira ka ora ai. Tau ha!

Sophie

I want to be part of the change and be a driver of change, doing my part. To show our tamariki and next generation/s that te reo Maori is part of their identity and birth right. This will give us that platform to share our taonga with others.

Metiria

Passionate to learn te reo Māori with a great team of people

Vikki

We would like to be a part of the moment to celebrate the Maori language week and would like to contribute to the learnings.

Amrita

Hohepa

Too much of this beautiful reo has been lost and I want to encourage my fellow pākehā to be part of the generation that finally takes part in lifting it back up. We are blessed to be here and have so much of te ao Māori shared with us x

Billie

To further develop the meaning of being a kiwi

Avi

As kaiako to our early childhood tamariki, we feel it is important for all of them to see, hear and be a part of te Āo Māori. We are a part of this journey daily and for us next week will be about tamariki and kaiako learning some new skills and extending on our current. We are committed to our Bicultural practice and strive to challenge ourselves and our way of being, to improve all of the time.

Rachael

I want to expand my knowledge of te reo Māori alongside my daughter who is learning beautiful waiata at school. We are currently learning all of our colours in te reo.

Kerryanne

Ali

Onehunga Primary School Pepeha https://docs. google. com/drawings/d/1uAhfB3ohpJHbpCannRzaQsy6cbkpQc8UF5oB_ZrbvPA/edit?usp=sharing

Brigid

We understand that we can break the record for having our beautiful language celebrated all in a single moment. Our challenge to our tamariki is to take the knowledge they have been surrounded by ever since they started pre-school and spread it around their Bubbles. They are definitely up for it. Ngā whētu ataahua koutou!

Ali

It is important to me because it is who I am. I am a product of my tīpuna and they exist within my tongue. I am not fluent, I am learning. It will never be my job to make another person understand why they should see it as important, that is up to them and them only. However, this is a great opportunity for me to practice my reo and teach what I can, to those who are willing to learn.

Takerei

He taonga tuku iho Te Reo Māori. E ai ki Te Tiriti o Waitangi, me whakahaumaru Te Kawanatanga i ngā taonga o ngā rangatira, nā reira, ko te mahi o ngā kaiako o Aotearoa ki te whakarauora i te reo rangatira. Te Reo Māori is protected as a treasure under the Treaty of Waitangi and it is the work of Crown employees, including teachers, to ensure the health of the language.

Vanessa

Because it is such a beautiful language

Britta

On going learning Te Reo enhances both personal knowledge and development and is important and vital to keep teaching practice relevant and authentic to share, use and learn with our tamariki. Our teaching team use Te Reo daily we have a fluent speake Kaiako who extends and encourages our Te Reo use. We would like our whanau from our kindergarten community to take part this year.

Doris Nicholson

Māori was made an official language of New Zealand under the Maori Language Act 1987

TinaV

Roger

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

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

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.