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'

I want to know my ancestors and there native tongue.

Chris

Even though I am not Maori and parents are immigrants, we all live in New Zealand and Maori should be embraced every week!

Catherine

My 7month old daughter is Māori and i would like to support and uplift her journey in Te Reo Māori

Catherine

Because who said our language wasn’t as important as any other language? nobody! so why did our language get stripped (forgotten/lost) from us?! It is important to me because I am Māori & me & every other Māori deserve to know our natural tongue. It is who we are, it runs through our blood, our bones, our wairua & me being Māori knowing, seeing & meeting people from different backgrounds speaking their natural tongue & not knowing my own & then them saying “do any of you guys know how to speak Māori?” sucks haha I also have a 3yo son & we live in Australia so I would absolutely love for him to also know who he is & where he comes from so he is a very big motivation for me aswell in learning our language. It’s time to start embracing who are as Māori, the people of Aotearoa.

Cathaleen

It's my language and culture and have been wanting to learn for a long time now. So no better time than now.

Carmel

Would like to learn more about Maori culture

Billy

As a relatively new kiwi (I immigrated six years ago), I want to understand everything about Aotearoa. Language plays a huge part in that, and I'd like to be able to speak all languages of the country one day.

Bianca

I originally belong to India and practice Sikh religion. Literal meaning of Sikh means, to learn. To keep learning. Even though I am here in NZ from 2002 and consider myself as mainstream Kiwi, but, I firmly believe that I cannot and will never be able to relate myself as a real 'kiwi' till I immerse in rich and beautiful Maori culture. And, the secret lies in learning Te Reo. Hence, I am making a head-start now.

Bhupinder

Its important to know the language because I design website in New Zealand and it should benefit Te reo readers.

Beula

I'm a school teacher and am celebrating with my class.

Barnaby

Te reo Māori connects me to my tīpuna, I wish I had been taught te reo from them. I wish I could speak fluently and confidently. I am gaining the confidence to speak what little I do know, as initiatives like this contribute and facilitate pride for being Māori

Awhina

To communicate with Maori people.

Atlas

I would like to be part of keeping te reo Maori alive. Just as when we migrate to other countries/regions it is important to learn the language of that country/region. As a Samoan growing up in Aotearoa, it is important for me to be able to speak te reo Maori.

Maria

Kia kaha te reo Māori!

Angie

To learn te reo Maori for my mokopuna

Angelina

I feel in myself that I am missing out. I was working in Auckland for a couple of months I was amongst Indian, Tongans, and Samoans. Everyday they would be having conversations with each other and when it came to myself and another workmate all we could say was 'Kia ora or Ka kite' pretty embarrassed with myself. So here I am wanting to know more, also I have a 3 yr old nephew that schools me everyday and I at least want to be able to do sentences with him.

Angela

Ko Te Reo Māori te reo tuturu o Aotearoa! We should all be speaking it and making it a priority.

Andrea

I want to be a part of this massive , beautiful, ancient culture, that is all about family, love and welcoming everyone.

Alwin

To celebrate and honour culture, language and diversity. To keep Te reo Maori alive.

Ali

It is important because of my Māori Whakapapa and I know my ancestors who have lived and passed before me need me to be their voice, through consistent learning, speaking te reo as much as possible & teach our own tamariki te reo Māori. I know in my heart, our ancestors would appreciate it and would want me to try and give te reo ago, every day and week for as long as I live.

Zania

Kia kaha te reo Maaori

Yt

Kia tautoko te i kaupapa nei

Yo

to study

wiyaphan

Te Reo Maori has had a big influence on the person I have become.

Whakarae

For me it is personal. I was not afforded a TeReo Maori education at my white privileged primary school. The education system did not cater for me as a Maori student. I don't want the Maori students in my school to miss out on the opportunity to discover Te Ao Maori.

Wayne

because I want to learn and understand more te reo Maori and be part of making it used more in our everyday life by all of us in Aotearoa

Vivien

We got involved because we are a group building a new way for our lives and want to have as much positive stuff as possible in it. We also want as many as possible people recorded to send a clear message that te Reo Maori is on the rise! And get as much awhinatia for it as possible.

Vicki

We, as a school, embrace te reo and Te Ao Māori. We feel it is important to show our commitment to te reo.

Vicki

To acknowledge that Te Reo Māori is inportant.

Vanessa

Maaori te whenua. Maaori te reo.

Ursula

Kia kaha Te reo Maori

Trevor

I have also wanted to learn to converse in Maori. I am started a course next year that has a large content of Te Maori and would love to be ahead of the game. But small steps for me 👌

Tracy

to help deaf adults to do sign languages to communication each others in Te Reo Maori, I want to have a go to teach them

Timoti

Because my language is beautiful and there is so much depth and meaning to our kupu. I am still learning my language and I am encouraged more than ever to learn and speak it with my children. I want to honour my ancestors and all of our ancestors who have paved the way for us. Mauri Ora!

Tiare

To connect.

Theresa

It's my birth right, although learning Te Reo has slipped away from me, I am ready to take the Journey to not only learn my language but understand the essence of living in a Māori world.

Terrie

Te Reo is and should be Aotearoa's first and first official language, lets all be bilingual

TeAra

I navigate myself by continuing the work of my tupuna, I uphold their mana; And perhaps the sharing of the taonga that is Māoritanga might inspire modern-day Aotearoa to further immerse in Te Ao Māori.

Te Aomihia

E Arohaina ana te reo e au!

Te-Reo-Iriaka

because I can speak te Reo Maori

taylor

As part of the whole a "New Zealander" I feel it is important to honour the Tangatewhenua of this country by connecting using New Zealand's first language. We would be horrified if the next generation didn't have access to what makes us so unique and special. The korero and tikanga of a unique and special country and its inhabitants.

Tanya

He Māori ahau

Taane

Because learning about others enriches everyone

Stephanie

My ancestors couldn’t speak Te Reo Māori , so I speak and continue to learn Māori for my ancestors who couldn’t 🤎

Sidney

I have made the commitment to learn te reo Māori in an 18 month course at my work place. I have just had my first lesson so it feels amazing to be part of this event. I have always wanted to speak another language and I am of Māori descent part of the atiawa iwi so it makes sense to pick this one to learn. Kei te ako au i te reo Māori.

Sharon

Connecting to my roots, my whanau. Te reo is considered a main language now with many people speaking it. I want to be on that waka and be able to pass it down to my tamariki.

Shana

To know the local language is a courtesy

Sayaka

For myself, my family & for my future tamariki to come.

Sasha

It's important to our programme to honour Māori and other Indigenous approaches to music and healing. Music is such a connecting process, and learning waiata, and hearing others' stories (such as Waireti's with Ihirangaranga) helps us to understand how we can work more respectfully with music and therapeutic approaches in Aotearoa NZ as registered music therapists. Music therapy comes from arts-based, medical and psychodynamic roots; it is important that we embrace other ways of knowing. Hearing the words in te reo, and their meaning today was very revealing. We spent time today with the language and concepts of Ihirangaranga, and received a kawakawa leaf and the sounds of the special vibrational bowl and singing. We also learnt about our own gifts as musicians and how we might share these with others. We thought about our own Indigeneity. Thank you for the opportunity to join other te reo learners today. Kia kāha for the project! Arohanui from New Zealand School of Music - Te Kōkī, Te Herenga Waka, VUW. (The selfie is our class making poi last week on Zoom and in person - perhaps not the best shot, but everyone was there). Sorry the final image below is upside down, I tried reversing it, but it stayed upside down! )

sarah

Learn my language

Sarah

Te reo is a beautiful language! It is fun to learn, share and enjoy speaking and singing in te reo! It makes you feel that you belong in Aotearoa!

Sarah

To decolonise and pay homage! To enrich the culture and never let it die

Santiago

te reo Maori should be part of our daily life, it is our heritage

Sandra

Growing up in Aotearoa I was always proud that te Reo was an official language, that was used in small ways by friends, whanau, and people around me. But I think it’s important that the language is used fully and by many people.

Sam

So my kids learn to. They learn where we come from

Sally

Culture and language go hand in hand. We must keep this beautiful culture alive through the language

Ryan

I just love Maori Culture, been brought up Maori family and friends I love it, makes me who I am today.

Ruth

I feel sad that Maori were forced to abandon their language. I feel a responsibility to help to put it right. Our culture was forced upon them. We all live together, I think it is important to understand one another as best we can, so that everyone has a sense of belonging and inclusion .

Rosie

"Kōrero Māori i ngā wā katoa, i ngā wāhi katoa. " Speak Māori everywhere, all the time. I am committed to being a time and a place where te reo Māori can thrive in its homeland, Aotearoa.

Rosie

Our commitment to the Te Tiriti o Waitangi living in Aotearoa

Rose

kia korero māori te ao katoa. Kia kitea, kia rongo I to tatou red ataahua The blog post slug for this story is: rickie-lee_-_rotorua

Rickie-lee

Because I'm a New Zealander and I should know how to speak Maori

Reuben

I have lived in Australia for 20 years but NZ is my home, my culture, my heritage. I don't want to lose that or my children to grow up without that influence. I want to reconnect with my culture and the history and the language of my whanau. This has been that motivator!

Renee

I am Maori and it’s important that people who live in our country have a better understanding of who I am as Maori.

Red

I must learn to honour my mother, to not forget my country of birth and to be connected . . . Special scared language. . . . . My family immigrated to Australia when I was a child, I feel I lost my identity. . . I am still kiwi and I will speak Maori. . . I love my country, . . . I honour my ancestors. . . Thanks heeps. .

Rebecca

Tautoko I Te Kaupapa Kia kaha ake to tātou reo

Rangimaria

I am maori and want to learn my Reo.

Ramona

Māori is apart of my culture and it’s important to me, I would love to learn more

Rachel

To be respectful, to learn, to inquire, to observe and to hopefully, one day, know more!

Rachael

It is important because it is one of the languages of Aotearoa and should be spoken in everyday life as greetings or simple sentences by everyone. It should also be mandatory in schools along with whakapapa and tikanga

Phillipa

Te reo is important to our identity as New Zealanders

Peter

To keep our reo alive and spread our culture to those that maybe unaware of our whakapapa or their own connections. A great time to stay connected within our tikanga, values and beliefs and keeping our rituals alive. Keeping our language sustainable.

Paige

I am a Kaiako and a proud young maori Māmā. Dedicated to our Reo and helping others around me

Nora

It would be a great sadness to allow for Maori language to be forgotten, as its part of New Zealand's heritage and identity. My why is to set an example for my children. Encourage them to learn and take interest and preserve Maori culture for future generations.

Leonora

I am on my personal journey learning Te reo Maori for my family and I

Niki

Its about normalising the use of our language and making it fun for those who have limited experience with it. If we do this now then generations to come will be more knowledgeable and able to use it with the mana it deserves.

niki

I just want to learn Te Reo Maori! ! ! I have lived in NZ for 23 years and am still not confident to speak Maori without people looking at me like I shouldn't :(

Nicole

It's part of my own whakapapa

Nicolaas

I have just moved home to Aotearoa. I want to know more about my country and share this with friends and family. I am going back into teaching and want to connect more with my students.

Nicola

Inspire and motivate others who have had a bad experience learning previously. We can still give it a go, push the negativity to the side and lets stand up for ours

Nellie

As a New Zealander it is important to value te reo Māori as a toanga. I am a strong advocate for te reo to be mandatory in schools for all to learn.

Naomi

to acknowledge and support our New Zealand history and understand a new culture

Nalini

To honour my tupuna, especially my kuia, she was subjected to racism because she was Maori. Honour the Treaty by respecting tino rangatiratanga

Monique

To continue to learn, share and revitalise our taonga.

Monique

Kia kaha Te reo Maori

Moera

Maori people and their language touched my life. I was a Hawaiian who didn’t see value in her own culture until she was immersed in Maori culture and reo. I love my whanaunga down there. In my heart, I never left.

Mikilani

Because Te Reo Maori is a fun thing to learn. It is NZ's other language and I think it is important

Mikaela

I want to learn Māori because I think the Māori culture is very unique and that learning the language is a part of learning they’re culture

Mika

It is important to me to learn my native language.

Mihi

Its important as a Kiwi to respect the Maori culture by learning Te Reo

Melissa
Melissa

Because as a family for overseas we also believe that roots are important and showing respect and appreciation for your culture it’s the base of our learnings as a family , we are proud for having the chance to learn more about Maori culture .

Maria

I have retired recently and now have more time on my hands to learn. I previously worked for a Maori organisation, having the reo would have been beneficial to my work. Would like to do for my own self development. I would like to be able to participate in conversations in maori.

Margaret

Our Maaori language is unique specifically to Aotearoa

Maia

To have a better understanding of the language and culture. It's such an important part of our NZ identity and everyone should be taking the opportunity to learn the beautiful culture and history.

Lynda

My why is my two children and my partner (soon to be husband). When I found out I was hapu with our first son, I vowed to try my best to learn to speak Te reo. I wanted to know his language so I could encourage him as he grew to speak both Maori and English and I wanted to understand the korero that was being had around me by my partners whanau.

Lynda-May

I love Maori language. It's a beautiful part of NZ culture which is totally underused. I love Maori stories and culture. It's wonderful. I want it to become more integrated into my life even though I'm a pakeha.

Lydia

It's important as new zealanders to learn about New Zealand culture and heritage. Language is core to that.

Luxmanan

Maori is part of the world's language diversity and part of the human heritage of all of us. Maori is also an interesting specific case of minority language - the politics of minority languages is important in Switzerland where I live, teach and research, and Maori can be a stimulating comparative example in this respect.

Lorenza

Being a kiwi

Lois