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'

Kia ora, Kaore au i te maia. he tino tangata whakama ahau. Kaore au i te pai te korero. kei te mohio au kei te manakki oku tupuna kei roto tonu i aku moemoe, He uri ahau. Kei te hiahia ahau ki te tatau na te mea he mea nui.

huhana

Kia Ora. This is important for me because I love being Maori, even though I’m only half. My mother is Maori and my father is pakeha. Although growing up I was definitely more exposed to things Maori and not learning pakeha protocols. I have grown up knowing only Maori tikanga. I grew up in the far north Kaitaia. And Maori was a huge part of the teachings at my schools. I came to Auckland when I was 12 years old and it was a huge culture shock. Growing up in Kaitaia, as a kid I thought there were only Maori and pakeha people, brown and white. I soon learned that there are hundreds of nationalities. And those different nationalities all have their own languages which most of them still speak where sadly a lot of us Maori have to learn again our native tongue. So it is very important that we as a culture and as whanau encourage each other to bring Te reo Maori back to life. Kia Ora

Cathy

I am a polyglot - someone who enjoys learning to speak other languages. You can't learn a language without learning something of the culture of the people who speak it, so Tikanga is part of the learning. So far I can speak 5 languages with various levels of fluency. I will always be who I am, but I would like to be able to communicate in Māori with the Māori students I teach. Although I was not born in Aotearoa, I am now a kiwi citizen, so learning to speak and understand Māori will be great! The NZ is where I am now, the ZA is where I came from. Its all there in the one image!

Ruth

E kore matou e ngaro ana to tatou reo i te mea oku nei whakaaro e ki mai te tiriti o tatou tupuna kia ora ai matou te iwi maori tata ake ki te iwi pakeha ara he mahi tahi tatou ki nga mea whakahirahira nga mea katoa kia tipu ake tatou tetahi ki tetahi atu ano hoki ki te hapai mai ki te whakatika aua korero aua panui hoki me ako tonu tena ka mahi tahi tatou

arnold

As an early childhood teacher, to honour our bicultural curriculum its so important our mokopuna are surrounded by te reo Māori.

Diana

I want us to be a community who works together and understands each other, respects each other. Learning Te Reo I think can help me with that.

Penelope

My great-grandmother kept her mātauranga like a secret as she wished to live as pākeha in her time. I feel sad that she was made to feel ashamed. So learning te reo for me at the moment is like finding something. Inconclusive as the finding may be, it could be a long walk :) I also just like language and communication. It’s humbling to acknowledge other worlds through languages & to pursue social connections /whakawhanaungatanga

Anna

Kia Ora as a Te Tiriti treaty partner and some one who has Maori and European ancestors. I feel that now I am retired from teaching I finally have the time to find out how to speak Te Reo correctly without being corrected for my bad pronounciation. As well as learning Maori protocols so when I go onto a Marae I don’t upset anyone by my lack of understanding of them. To be connected to my whanau’s ancestors past and present. Another goal , I have as part of the Rongamou Community Action group is to advocate and lobby as a Te Tiriti partner for equality for Tangata Whenua in local government and the community. By being able to speak Te Reo and understand Maori History and protocols helps with this. My father’s brother Sir Paul Reeves advocated for better Maori representation for Taranaki 11 years ago and we are continuing with his vision. Nga Mihi

Gail

My why is that I would like to be a part of making sure we don't lose our Māori language. To pronounce te reo correctly. To add to my vocabulary and maybe one day learn to speak the reo. In doing so have a deeper understanding of tikanga. I am a 67 year-old pakeha woman. I have worked for much of my career with māori and in so doing have been a part of developing a deeper understanding of historical events and what the resulting outcomes are.

Liz

Really only discovered my Māori ancestry while at Teacher's training college. My Nana and Dad never connected with theirs- my sister and I have taken on the challenge to learn te reo for them. By using te reo in my classroom- I am normalising and promoting our precious unique language for the next generation.

Kyla

It helps me understand ko wai au. My dad was born in 1921 and was going to Te reo at northcote college 60 yrs later when he died. He used words like pakaru porungi waipiro etc. Both his parents were fluent but they didn’t pass it on. My kids and now hire kids, my mokos are very keen to learn our whakapapa and our language. In fact, my 7 year old moko has a better understanding than me which he got from his preschool in Wanaka. For me that was the catalyst to indulge in our reo.

Gary

For our future

Tania

Unuhia te rito o te harakeke, kei whea te kōmako e kō? Whakatairangitia - Rere ki uta, rere ki tai; Ui mai koe ki ahau he aha te mea nui o te ao, mākū e kī atu he tangata, he tangata, he tangata. Ki te kore tātou e ako i te reo Māori, ka ngaro. Kei te ako au i te reo Māori nā te mea he reo ātaahua. Kei te pīrangi au i te reo Māori ki tūhono i te ahurea Māori. Kei te ako au i te reo Māori nā te mea he pārekareka, waihoki, ki te kore au e ako, ka ngaro te reo.

Ethan

Why I chosen to learn my own language again, now that I have my own tamariki and that they go to school learning its time I start learning and sharing to my own at home. . I love my language its help me understand who I am as a person where I belong and carrying on the legacy of our tupuna. I am currently a student at Te Wananga O Raukawa and loving the reo to help me become a better person in reo

Westeria

Ngā mihi nui koutou, It's my birth right to speak the language of my ancestors. My Aunty Hana TeHemara carried 30, 000+ signatures up the steps of Parliament 39 years ago to have Te Reo Māori in schools. She, my mother and her siblings were strapped for speaking Māori at school and my mother made a conscious decision not to teach us. I did a total emersion course 20+ years ago but haven't had the opportunity to use te reo Māori in my mahi. I am continuing my hikoi ki te ako te reo Māori as is my son Apera Woodfine. (who incidentally is launching an EP in Te Reo Māori 25th June 2021 - keep an eye out for it, it's great and I hope it reaches main stream radio) Ko taku hiahia au ki te kōrero Māori i ngā wā katoa. ) My desire is to kōrero Māori all the time and especially in my job. Joining this kaupapa is important to me and together we are stronger.

Wairereraki

It's a giant part of who I am and where I come from, it's part of my whakapapa - even if growing up I was constantly told by everyone else that it wasn't.

Ariana

He taonga te Reo; na te mea e hiahia ana ahau ki te maarama Ngā mea nui ki Maori ; me matua korero au i te reo rangatira, te reo Maori.

Mary Britton

I dont want our beautiful reo to be lost, our tikanga our who we are to be lost. Our tamariki need to know who they are why they do what they do, look like they do, sound and act like they do. For my babies

Rose

it's important to me because my mother was punished for speaking Māori and if I don't learn and encourage my daughter to learn then who will uphold our tikanga and run our Marae with the customs our tipuna fought so hard to uphold its up to us to keep it alive!

vickilee

I love learning te reo. It's my 5th year and I enjoy saying more than "Kia Ora" when introducing myself. I also like to show others that a pakeha middle aged lady can hold a simple conversation in reo. Kei te kaiako au i a rua reo akomanga and seeing my tamariki using te reo is a privelege.

Noeline

Learning Te Reo Māori to enhance myself with better understandings, teaching my babies our beautiful language, making sure we embrace, embark and encourage our babies that our Language is our Culture.

Jaleesa

As a Pakehaa born In Aotearoa - Te Reo Maaori has a special place in my heart and soul. I believe we need to recognise this more and learning Te Reo Maaori is one step of doing this!

Renei

I moved to Aotearoa from England in 2005. Learning the language of the country - te reo Māori - is how I can better understand my new home, the people of the land, its culture and the natural world. Every little step - even if it just being part of one day of the year - is a good step. However we have got a long long way to go - so hoea te waka tātou!

Clare

I want Maaori to be widely spoken. I have felt thus for many decades. Belief in "integration" and respect for Maaori may help explain the feeling. It brings satisfaction and pleasure to go to the library to use Maaori at last.

Puruuhi

Its about remembering growing up with a Nan that spoke in te reo - so understanding reo is easier than speaking it. The little intricacies 'ki' 'mo' 'i' 'e' 'a' 'o' knowing where they are used and having a better understanding. Its about honoring and acknowledging my whakapapa, my rangatiratanga, my mokopuna - speaking to them in their reo, telling our stories so that they may grow proud to be who they understanding where they have come from. . . . a long line of warriors, of survivors!

Tanyia

Nā te mea e pirangi ana au i te tuhi I ngā waiata i roto i te reo rangatira rawa atu.

Apera

I am definitely part of the Te Reo Movement because I did not learn Maori growing up. My Mum was one of those, her parents did not speak English. When the native school started, my Mum went to school and she was beaten for speaking Maori there. When she returned home, she was beaten for speaking English. She could see the evolvement of Te Ao Pakeha taking place, and as she started having children, she decided that she wanted to prepare her 9 children for the Pakeha World, which meant, go to the Pakeha school, Learn English education, and NOT LEARN TE REO MAORI! ! ! ! ! She did not believe that learning Maori was going to help in this ever evolving Pakeha World! ! ! I got to High School, there was a Maori Option class, I fought with my Mum in regards to learning Maori, she did not agree at first, however, I insisted that I WAS MAORI, AND IT IS MY RIGHT TO LEARN MY LANGUAGE! ! ! Eventhough this was going on with my Mum and I, I later learnt and understand where she was coming from, and I am grateful for the Pakeha Knowledge that I gained throughout my life! However, He Maori Ahau, No Aotearoa ahau, na te Whenua ahau, E kore au e ngaro, he kākano i ruia mai i Rangiātea. . . .

Te reo Māori has uplifted and strengthened my Māori identity and my wairua. It gives me joy in my life every time I learn something new and can share it with my mokopuna. I want my tamariki and mokopuna to feel proud of being Māori and to stand strong in their lives, so I learn it for them.

Ariana

Toi te kupu, Toi te mana, Toi te whenua

Shannon

I'm American and have lived in New Zealand for 23 years. My why is to understand Māori culture and people. To do this, I really believe I need to know the language Ko taku reo taku ohooho, ko taku reo taku mapihi mauria although not Māori myself, this language has helped me to connect with New Zealand it's people and it's culture and customs for the past 23 years

Mary Sue

My blood is red, my skin is white. My ancestors were "pioneers" who started to arrive here pre-Treaty. Although they weren't directly involved in stealing land nor killing "natives", their mere presence precipitated that. Now I get to enjoy living in Aotearoa. My blood is red, my languages include Maori.

Karen

I'm learning Te Reo because I live in a bicultural country with two spoken languages, and so far I'm only fluent in one of them. Understanding another culture is greatly enhanced by learning the language and I believe Maori culture has a huge amount to offer us as kiwis, including the respect for the land, water and air and the need to protect those if we are to thrive.

Julie

Aotearoa is my adopted home: Although I wasn't born here, I want to embrace the taonga of te reo.

Joel'

Tena koe, ko Gill toku ingoa. I am 45 and was born in Aotearoa from NZ/UK parents. It is so important for me to learn te reo Māori so I can be better connected to the land I live in. I want to gain a better understanding of Māori culture and the language. I started my Te Ao Māori journey last year with a weekly night class and again this year going deeper. I have SO much to learn and I love it! At any age you can start.

Gill

To experience the wonders of another world, hidden in plain sight. To feel a connection to this land.

Janice

Kia tangata whenua anoo ai too taatou reo. Kia whakahokia mai te reo ki te arero o ngaa tamariki mokopuna hei reo koorero moo te aapoopo, moo naianei hoki. To make our language a living language for now and into the future.

Te Amoroa

He reo aroha, tohaina tenei reo aroha . . .

Mereana

My grandmother's generation were forced to speak a language that wasn't theirs. Te reo was beaten out of them, therefore it is my duty to speak te reo whenever I can and where ever I can, because they couldn't.

Herewini

I’m Pākehā so I will always feel like a guest in Aotearoa. However, I’ve never lived anywhere else. This land has always been my home. Te reo Māori is the first and only language heard by this land, from the mouths of people, for hundreds of years and is interwoven throughout this place in the deepest ways. It is undeniably, as people say, a taonga. Learning to speak te reo helps me feel a deeper connection to Aotearoa. I feel more tethered to this place. I share my enthusiasm for this taonga with my children and the young children I teach in the hope that they will feel the same way, and the future of Aotearoa will involve a more connected people.

Amy

Maaori is a beautiful language that's embedded within a beautiful culture steeped in values of respect, inclusion, integrity and aspiration. The language, its history and the stories of its people deserve to be heard in its homeland. We shouldn't sit back in apathy and let it slowly wink out of existence.

Nick

I am 57 years old, a 5th generation Pākeha tane, ( i love being called Pākeha, i am definitely NOT white, rather a ruddy pink and orange ginga maybe). I grew up in Tauranga & Rotorua. As children were exposed to and took part in many things Māori, however i always felt that i was only living in 1/2 of Aotearoa. I wanted to be able to have the right to say "Kia ora" and it mean something. As i heard it said "To be able to walk in the Māori world and the Pākeha comfortably". Learning Te Reo felt like a home coming , as i was embraced by the Aroha of my Kaiako and fellow tauira. I can still only kōrero at the level of a 2 year old but i have so much more now than at the beginning of the journey. I can not recommend it highly enough.

Timothy

Te reo Maori enables me to connect. Connect to Te Ao Maori and Te Ao pakeha in a way that makes me feel good.

Being a Maori who has recently returned to NZ from 23 years abroad, I feel the need to catch up with the te reo which is now being spoken more and more in Aotearoa 😍

Sarah

I am a first generation kiwi from Dutch heritage. My parents (and so our whanau) were welcomed here and allowed to make our home here. It stands to reason we acknowledge Tangata Whenua who 180 years ago opened the way for we tauiwi to come.

Christina

We have a beautiful language and culture. We have been told many lies about it to make us feel ashamed to speak and be Māori. It’s time to change the script by embracing, accepting and loving ourselves in reo, mind and spirit. Thank you for offering a pathway.

Sandra

I lived overseas for a long time and wanted to reconnect with my homeland when I returned. Being a kiwi overseas brought a sense of identity in me, like a taiaha in my spirit, it made me proud of my heritage and the land I call home. Now I learn, so I can share this beautiful land, learn the stories and pass on what I learn as well.

Heather

Kia ora Why am I learning te reo Māori? - he taonga te reo, our language is so very precious! I'm learning because my language is me, it's a huge part of who I am & because I love my beautiful language! 🥰 Why it's important to me - it's important to because it's a part of me & because our language was in jeopardy of being lost so I have a responsibility to help restore & revive it to a thriving nature Why sign up to be a part of Māori language movement - as above, I will strive to be involved with anything & everything promoting te reo Māori

Tina

I believe te reo is unique and distinct to Aotearoa, it is the first language of these islands, and as such it is a taonga and should be compulsory as a subject from early child education upwards, just as the English language is. I am fifth generation Pākehā and view my own identity as intricately bound to Māori culture too. It is both my duty (as someone whose ancestors invaded Aotearoa and betrayed the indigenous people) and my pleasure (as someone who loves the language) to learn, respect and promote te reo Māori. Pākehā need to support the growth of te reo Māori in institutions and everyday life. Our ancestors tried to banish it from native speakers, to stop it being spoken; now it is imperative we support its growth and vibrancy, and treasure it as the original indigenous language or Aotearoa. Kia kaha te reo Māori!

Annie

I want to be able to converse and understand our reo rangatira. So love our reo

Louise

I'm 64 years old and can't even put a sentence together and when someone speaks or writes something in te reo I can't understand most of what they are saying I feel dumb.

Eliza

I am learning for my matua who wouldn't speak te reo because he was beaten for it and for my mokopuna so he grows up standing tall, knowing his culture and language is something to be proud of.

Kim

To be confident and competent while I’m teaching our future tamariki of Aotearoa. To koorero maaori with confidence on my Paa, with my tuupuna, tamariki and our wider community. I want to feel whole, I want to influence my older tamariki, mokopuna who we are and what our language is, and it to become a normality for them to speak with love & passion. To be proud of their culture & identity.

Maymond

There are numerous number of reasons: ▪︎One of the three official languagesof NZ. ▪︎The language and culture is so intertwined to relate with Tangata Whenua. ▪︎The opportunity to learn via the Te Wananga o Aotearoa at no cost. ▪︎The understanding of Màori history from Màori view point. ▪︎The language and culture is so beautiful and has enhanced my own roots by learning whakapapa.

Paul

Because it is apart of my culture and I want to stay connected to it

Jorja

Would love to engage with whanau on our marae

Mere

Because as a New Zealander who went through the education system in the 70's and 80's, I feel let down about the monocultural world view I was provided, and am embarrassed at my own lack of understanding of New Zealand history. But it's not too late! I want to ensure my children grow up in a country where Te Reo is part of our culture and embraced as part of our identity.

Caroline

Kia Ora. Ko Cathy Ruka toku ingoa. It’s important to take part in this because I love being Maori. I am only half Maori, my mother is Maori and my father is pakeha. I grew up tikanga Maori, so I do not know what it means to be pakeha. Maori was always part of my school curriculum. I grew up and went to school in Kaitaia. I was in the kapa haka group at intermediate. I am 36 years old. Living in Auckland. I still am learning Te reo. I love watching Maori television. I love singing Maori waiata. Well that’s a bit about me. Kia Ora

Cathy

I started to learn te reo Māori about six years ago, because a friend and I were leading a preschool music group and wanted to make sure we were pronouncing the reo correctly in names and songs with the kids. Now learning is part of my journey as a pākeha in Aotearoa to honouring te Tiriti and understanding more. It feels awesome to hear people speaking Māori with their tamariki out and about.

Lynley

To enrich my life and philosophy. To enable a deeper connection to place and people. To tribute and honour tupuna.

Marijke

As a Pākehā, I have been welcomed into wonderful spaces again and again and again as I learn te reo Māori, as I learn about te ao Māori. This love, this manaakitanga, and this deep, grounding knowledge should be visible everywhere in the Aotearoa of tomorrow.

Hannah

To make up for a missing part of my NZ identity. I was made aware of NZ history only once in the Army and although far from comfortable with my 'awareness' I am drawn to become part of the solution. I experienced a contingent handover overseas and the 'welcome/challenge' memory still gives me bumps. Pleased to see how easily younger 'Kiwis' adapt and adopt their awareness when given the chance. Keep up the good work.

Jim

Te Reo is the official language of Aotearoa, it is the language of land I am privileged to live on, work on and learn on. It is the language of my tamariki, I need to speak reo so it continues to be spoken in our whare.

Laura

I am learning te reo because it is one of New Zealand's languages and it seems respectful to honour our first people in this way.

Camilla

As a Pākeha I am aware of how much my people have taken from Māori. I want to be part of giving back, of helping to right the wrongs. Maori language and culture is a taonga that I want to help preserve. This is why I am learning te reo and encouraging others to do the same.

Rebecca

Because it is the language of our land, our whenua and our culture.

Sarah

Te reo & maoritanga are two of the most significant founding threads to the weaving of the human journey in these blessed remote south pacific islands. As a 4th generation Rakiuran, I have always known from a young age that I feel connected this place. If I could converse in te rep I would feel an incredible completeness to my belonging

Bruce

I am a Primary School Teacher in Aotearoa so I have a responsibility to use Te Reo Māori in my classroom, and around our kura, as much as possible because it is the indigenous language of Aotearoa. I need to try and make up for the teachers from the past who caused so many tamariki and whānau to lose their language. Also, I am Pākehā but my hoa tane and 3 step-children are all fluent Te Reo speakers so I want to be able to speak Māori with them.

Victoria

I'm learning Te Reo Māori to normalise it within my community. I think it's really important to raise my tamariki bilingual because it's an ever growing language.

Kaylee

To acknowledge the fact that my parents brought us to New Zealand many years ago for a different life which has given us the chance to experience Maori culture and te reo Maori. It has given us a sense of connection and belonging.

Patricia

Kia ora. Over many years, I have picked up my learning of te reo and, at one stage, got to a reasonable state of understanding. However, with irregular use, my reo has deteriorated. But, it's important! For me and for all NZers to have an understanding - at least to be able to pronounce the words correctly and to have a basic vocabularly. So, I continue to learn. And it's such a beautiful language

Bruce

I love understanding more about who and what we are as people in Aotearoa. I love the challenge, and the satisfaction that comes with knowing more about Te Ao Māori me Te Rep.

Julie

Te Reo Maori is a right and a privilege it is important to access learning of Te Reo Maori then honor the privilege bestowed on us as Maori by our Tipuna to use the language to grow and enhance our use in and across our whanau. Our use of Te Reo Rangatira honors and acknowledges the hard won gains to maintain and hold onto Te Reo Maori, our Reo Maori warriors.

Raewin

Its a bout inclusion for me. I have always been proud to be Maori. Te Reo helps me connect to a greater part of my culture, my family and us as a people. It widens my circle to include people with similar beliefs and a way of looking at the world. I was raised in a time when Maori was not cool. I feel i have missed so much by bowing down to the social norms of the time. . . i felt that I was literally a drop in the ocean against it and now i feel like i was swimming in the wrong ocean. We were an advanced and articulate nation prior to colonisation, and i feel if we were all allowed to know this and accept it, we'd think very differently about ourselves. . . why wouldn't i rather speak the language of those tipuna rather than the ones who've done their best to divide, conquer and destroy us to exploit our land and people? When i was young i knew few Reo speakers. . . now they are everywhere, they are growing and they have many faces . . . I want to speak with them and i want my children to be able to speak to them

Terence

I think it's important for me (and everyone in Aotearoa) to be able to understand and speak some Te Reo. Language helps to create world view and I think having that knowledge is the only way to truly connect with tangata whenua. I am a keen activist as well as I love languages and really enjoyed the short course 4 week course with Brenda. I want to keep up the momentum and not lose what I have learned! I've a lot of background vocabulary and pronunciation, but lack the tools to compose sentences. In a professional capacity, I work for the national office for the citizens advice bureau. We have a kaupapa called Mauri Manaia that I am part of a team that is responsible for making sure we are delivering on its goals of te reo and cultural competency among our CABs around the country. Having a better reo base helps me in this work too. Nga mihi, Lexi Taylor

Lexi

E ako ana ahau ki korero te re Maori, na te ma, i whakaaro au, he tino nui te korero me te reo i ora pai.

Nicola

I feel that as Te Reo is one of our national languages, it is important to know some words and phrases and how to pronounce the words correctly.

Melinda

It seems both pono me tika

Paul

As a New Zealander it’s my responsibility to keep te reo Māori alive. It’s the bare minimum for calling this place home that I say place names correctly, learn about the indigenous culture and respect the land. From a pakeha kiwi

Holly

Ko te ohaaki ō tōku matua te take mā tāku whāinga ki te whakahoki te reo rangatira ki tōna kāinga. I mua i tōna wehenga ki tuawhakarere ka tohatoha a ia i tōna hiahia kia hoki mai te rongoā ō te reo ki tōna kainga. Nāku i oati atu ki tōku matua māku e tutuki ai ki tōna ohaaki. No reira, nāku i peka ki te Wānanga o Aotearoa kia whai te Ara reo me ōna pekanga kairangi. Ināianei, ko tōna ohaaki ko tōku mo āku tamariki. Mā tōna wā ka pāorooro ngā whare o ngā mokopuna ō tōku matua i te kurupākaratanga a ngā manu tīoriori, a ngā Manu whekoata me ngā manu kura e kuraina ana ki te kāinga, ki te marae ātea me kī, ki te ao o te manu kai mātauranga.

Isaac

I can finally express wahinetanga. To also honour our tupuna and those that have fought hard to reclaim te reo Maori.

Analatu

To claim back te reo and tikanga Māori for myself and for my whānau

Rachel

Te reo Maori is the native language of the tangata whenua and as such it needs to be spoken by every person who lives here. It's an official language (alongside NZ sign language) and it is my opinion that it, and NZSL, should be in use everyday by everybody as much as English is as the default official language (it's not the official language in law, just by default so te reo and NZSL actually have a more legal standing for every day use). Currently I'm doing several informal classes to learn te reo - a couple of aps on my phone, a free course online by Massey University, some workbooks I have.

Annette

It is my heritage and it is my duty to pass it in to my children and mokopuna.

Adam

I am at a point in my life where I feel the time is right. Just to learn the basic of our Native Language will give me a closeness to My Cultural Identity being Of Maori Descent. I too have a pepe who will be attending total emersion Kura Learning and having some knowledge of our Reo with be of a great help too.

Maraea

I'm a classic example of a middle aged wahine who has Māori lineage but was brought up in a Pakeha environment and wishes Te Reo was as accessible then as it is now. If others are like me, it is not until we are older that we wanting to discover our whakapapa. My moko is in an Māori-English unit at Kura and a lot of the parents, as well as the Kaiako obviously, are fluent speakers so it would be nice to be able to understand what is being said, and converse on at least a basic level.

Fiona

I personally love learning te reo Māori because it’s like stepping into my tipuna’s world, how they connect, how they understood eachother, how they treated and love the whenua, how they loved, how they connected to the environment in all ways ❤️ Te reo Māori takes me to that place, I love it, it makes my soul happy, I feel my tipuna and I love every single moment of it. I couldn’t imagine life without, my life has changed for the better since learning, I lead with aroha now more than I ever did. . for me that’s being Māori 😊

Atariti

Ko te reo te mauri o te mana māori - Tihei Mauriora. My why for learning te reo rangatira: Te reo rangatira is my connection to the taonga tuku iho that were stripped away through the systematic and deliberate processes of colonisation. Since stepping into my learning journey of te reo rangatira I have grown as a person, and feel a deeper understanding of who I was supposed to be in this life. As I grow I begin to get clarity of the importance of knowing ko wai koe, nā wai koe, i ahu mai koe i hea? from this my desire to give back increases. I have always said my journey resembles the famous lyrics of Prince Tui Teka " the more I find out the less I know". I am grateful for the calming inspiration of whakatauakī for example 'ahakoa he iti he pounamu' reminds me to calm the taniwha and be grateful for each step in my learning journey. Te reo rangatira is a treasure and holds the ecological roadmap to Māori wellbeing.

Jacqui

I'm Niuean and I'm fluent in my language. My grandsons are part Māori and I speak to them in Niuean, Te Reo and lastly Te Reo Pakeha. I try to speak a lot more Te Reo at my work and speaking Te Reo is encouraged at my workplace. I understand others when they speak but I have difficulty structuring my sentences in te reo so it makes sense when I spurt it out of my mouth. Nga mihi mahana Iris

Iris

It is part of our national identity and we need to treasure it.

Adam

What drives me (us) to be a part of Te Reo Māori. . . . . . My mokopuna's (5) native tongue is Māori My children (2 and now parents) were brought up through Kōhanga, Kura Kaupapa and Reo Rumaki My children confidently participate in Te Ao Māori, especially kapa haka My children both have jobs where Te Reo Māori is actively used (one is a teacher of Te Reo and the other a Public Servant) My wife and I both have jobs where Te Reo Māori is encouraged. And to be a part of all of this, me kōrero Māori māua ko taku hoa wahine. Ki te kore, aue, ka mahue māua.

Bernie

For me, Te Reo encompasses Te Ao Maori completely - with Te Reo we have the culture, the history, the inclusion, and the ancestry. Without it, as Maori we cannot maintain our knowledge and connection to the whenua and the tipuna. Over the years the language has been much maligned and mis-spoken, along with Maori also, and there is a real risk that we lose the taonga that we have if we do not defend it.

Linda

Why you are learning te reo Why am I learning te reo, because my tamariki have been educated through Kohanga, Kura Kaupapa, Wharekura, Wananga and now one is a qualified kura kaupapa Māori kaiako and the other is at Victoria University studying Māori. It was clear that I needed to upskill myself to be a part of their matauranga journey and to communicate effectively and confidently with my tamariki in Reo Māori. Why it’s important to you It is imperative to me that we all learn our language, unfortunately we weren't given the opportunity to learn it when I was at school, for some reason my mum thought it beneficially for me to be put in a French class and not a Māori class. However, I'm making damn sure that my whanau learn and take an interest in their tikanga, karakia, waiata and language moving forward. Why have you signed up to be a part of the Māori language movement It's so important to push this movement full steam ahead so our mokopuna grow confident and proud of who they are, where they are from and where they are heading in life, not fumble and hide with embarrassment because they are not meeting the public perception of a colonised worldview. It brings me immense joy and frustration within myself when I hear other cultures speaking their language freely around Aotearoa and we hesitate to be heard out loud speaking our own reo, often for fear of making a mistake. This is changing, we are becoming more confident and brave in the use of our reo, so well done to TVNZ channel 1, I love hearing our reo being spoken on national media. Well done also to our Māori TV channels, Māori radio, our rangatahi on social media, and to our Māori providers who are becoming more inclusive with the use or kupu Māori on their resources and services, you all rock.

Claudine

As a child growing up my mother never taught me or my bro and sis Te Reo, so I would like to try to talk my culture. I am surrounded by te Reo

Gayle

As a primary school teacher I think it is important for us all to learn the Maori language. I personally love listening to the language while also enjoy the waiata and karakia.

Neil

Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a bridge connecting Te Ao Māori and Te Ao Pākehā. In the words of Kelvin Davis, "Since 1840 who has crossed that bridge? Māori have crossed over, how many have come back the other way?" Learning and using Te Reo is one part of my responsibility as Tangata Tiriti, and especially as an immigrant - but this a responsibility held by ALL Pākehā in Aotearoa. Kō te reo kia tika, kō te reo kia rere, kō te reo kia Māori.

Sarin

As a new migrant in Aotearoa, and after four years choosing this land as a home. I believe that "Te reo" and "Te ao Maori" are the bridge to settle in NZ, it is a holistic way to connect, allowing us to make a positive impact on the wellbeing of our planet, our communities and ourselves. Kia ora.

Franco

Because it can help me get a job and I actually enough getting to understand what is being said. I have lots of Y's. Also my children and grandchildren are part maori so it is showing them they don't have to be maori to learn and make it more acceptable to learn their own language.

Sharon R.

Te Reo Māori is beautiful and important to me because this is our Identity and who we are as a people. I am apart of this kaupapa because I am Māori and proud to be Māori. Nga Mihi xx KIA KAHA TE REO MĀORI

Kirsty

Te Reo is important to me as it is language of the country I was born in. My ancestors go back 200 years in Aotearoa and I am ashamed I do not speak the language. As my heritage is with early settlers I have no connection with any other land than Aoteoroa. If my ancestors had gone to any other land I would be speaking that language. It is important to me that Te Reo becomes the first language of Aotearoa. Because I am older and we did not have any Te Reo in school, it is harder. We also have grown up with the bad pronunciation of our ancestors. I know it is considered disrespectful to have incorrect pronunciation, but I ask for patience with my generation as we break old habits of incorrect pronunciation. I love to hear my children who have leant Te Reo in school pronouncing the words beautifully Nga Mihi

Ruth

For my tamariki - for our future ❤️

Cherise

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Auckland

For my tamariki - for our future ❤️