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'

To grow Te Reo Māori in Aotearoa:)

Sarah

To say ‘thank you ‘ to a country that has welcomed my family and I.

Sarah

To encourage the students in my class to learn and speak te reo māori and make connections to their whanau and whenua.

Sarah

It is our obligation and as part of Aotearoa to commit to keeping this Reo alive. More personally my Nieces are Maori and I want them to grow up with Te Reo and not be ashamed to speak it and I want to be able to continue to communicate with them in this way and encourage them to be proud Maori wahine!

Sarah

Part of being a New Zealander, and unique to New Zealand

Sarah

The use of te reo was actively reduced, it must be revived because it is unique and integral to Maaori identity and wellbeing, and therefore the wellbeing of all.

Sarah

To promote Te Reo Maori use in our Kura.

Sarah

So we don’t lose the language

Sarah

I am a Pakeha, and the preservation of Te Reo is extremely important to me, because it is a part of our culture as New Zealanders.

Sarah

It's important that we support things that are uniquely Māori, and we would love to see our diverse team celebrate and normalise te reo Māori within our stores and communities

Sarah

I believe te reo Maori is fundamental to this land. I claim the title Pakeha with pride, because it defines me in relationship to Tangata Whenua of Aotearoa. The blog post slug for this story is: sarah_-_auckland_x1ir3g9jfhr-pp6g1e6quw

Sarah

To keep our reo alive & to connect to my own identity

Sarah

To better understand my culture as a New Zealander, and for my tamariki.

Sara

At my school, we are working hard at developing our Māori language skills and I am in full support of that. While I find it hard to learn a different language, I am in full support of what my school is trying to achieve. He pai ake te iti i te kore :)

Sandy

He Taonga te reo Maori mo te whenua o Aotearoa. Mo nga Maori, mo nga Pakeha hoki. Me ako tatou tenei reo ataahua.

Sandy

to be part of the movement of connecting myself and my whanau to learn understand and Loreto tatou reo rangatira

Sandra

To improve

Sandra

It’s a part of who I am, te reo Māori. It’s a part of who should be as a nation. Aside from the psychological benefits of bilingualism, it provides a sense of identity in us. It provides a beautiful language that incorporates all the bits of nature and humanity - something often missing from the English language.

Samara

I love t o learn Maori

Sam

Te reo Māori is part of Aotearoa where my home is.

Sam

Te Reo is part of our history, culture and what makes part of Aotearoa.

Sam

Kei tahi Aotearoa I te ao! !

Sam

As a child, I grew up around Te Reo Maori. I attending a Kohanga, took part in Kapa Haka, was in the bilingual unit, and studied Te Reo Maori. I took part in Nga Manu Korero, and was the kaikorero for powhiri, hui and other functions for my kura. Once I left school, and took on the big wide world, my involvment in Te Ao Maori became less, and there my Reo diminished. I'm taking part in this because I'd like to see our Reo be lifted again, as it did back in the 70s.

Sam

Because it is our national language and for too long it has been shoved to the side, much like the Maori people have been and I refuse to sit by and let such a beautiful language fall by the way side because of racist people

sam

Make sure my students understand the importance of te reo and the Treaty in their world

Sally

I am a migrant in New Zealand - moved here from India in 2003. My mother tongue is precious and important to me - and since NZ is my beautiful, adopted home, I want to be able to at the very least, speak and read at least foundational level te reo and immerse myself completely in my home.

Sagun

more self awareness and being respectful of other cultures

Sadhana

I recall how I had a spiritual experience when traveling here as a tourist 20 years ago, I was laying on the earth and spread my arms out, hands touching the grass, tears welled up and I experienced a deep connection to the land. This stayed with me and I eventually moved my life here. The Maori culture has many gifts to share that in my life have brought me closer to nature and my own heart. Anything that I can do to bring more Maori tikanga in my whanau's day to day is one step closer to an Aotearoa that I want to see. One that embraces, honours and respects the language and customs of Maori. It's time.

Sacha

because te reo should be thriving in Aotearoa and for our future generations it will! We are raising our children Bilingually, with my youngest i have only been speaking to her in te reo . Despite being non- maori te reo and tikanga are a really important part of our lives. i want them to grow up in a community who values, celebrates and uses te reo everyday.

Sacha

As a New Zealander I think te reo Māori is part of our culture, it feels only natural to try and learn the language!

Saar

we are ALL PART OF NZ.

s

It is our native language. It is a beautiful sounding language. It is innately kiwi and must be preserved.

Margaret

Te Reo Maori is one of the three official languages of New Zealand.

Rynesh

I am proud to be a New Zealander and want to learn te reo of the tanga ta whenua

Ruth

To keep the culture alive and honour our Tangata Whenua

Ruth

by learning any language, you get to understand how a people thinks, their history . . . I think it's important for all New Zealanders to learn te reo. . .

Ruth

Because it is everyone's responsibility to revive it after it was oppressed for so long.

Russell

matua ben christie

Russell

Joining in will make a difference.

Russ

Revitalising Te Reo Māori is key to maintaining our culture and it all starts with self

Ruby

I love Te reo māori :)

Ruby

I am who i am. I am proud to be. maori and I am proud to speak te reo as long as I have someone to. talk to

Ruby

To encourage others to use our native language To learn Te Reo

Ruby

My whānau + understanding of myself as a NZer and indigenous person :) For future generations !

Ruby

The language from my birth country is dying, I don't want the same to happen to the indigenous language of my adopted home.

Ruaridh

Most of the students in our class are Maori and it is importnat for me and them to make Te Reo part of our everyday so they can feel confident, strong and connected.

Roxanne

So my mokopuna will have her language accepted!

Rowena

To support the cause, to demonstrate that reo should be compulsory in educaiton. To support tangata whenua and better myself for my mahi.

Rosie

Upholding our national language is so important, its an awesome goal to participate in to encourage our nation Aotearoa to value, learn and use te reo as per Ti Tiri o Aotearoa. Kia kaha, kia maia, kia manawanui!

Rosie

I think it is really important for Aotearoa to embrance te reo Māori

Rosemary

I have a grand daughter who is attending a kohanga reo in Whangarei and I would like to share or be part of her learning.

Rose

Because this is yet another wonderful way of honouring my culture and my whakapapa and tikanga. I want to show my children how important it is to embrace every opportunity to take part in Kaupapa Maori, as part of our life journey in knowing who we are.

Rose

Because as a teacher and parent, the best way I can support te reo in NZ is to engage with it and learn it myself.

Rose

As a new student teacher in Early Childhood Education, I believe I need to learn more in te reo Māori and its uniqueness to help me accommodate and understand more of the values and so that I can carry on teaching the simple plurals of te reo Māori. As a Cook Islands Maori descendant, I feel that it is important to keep teaching our mother tounges in our indigenous homeland so learning and teaching te reo Māori will help me in so many ways.

Rose

I have a few people in my family who are Maori and friends also.

Rose

To show the community how Te Reo is a fun, vibrant language and that leanring it can be as easy as one word at a time.

Rosamund

I love the language and believe it should be spoken more day-to-day. It's one of our official languages so we should all know the basics of it.

Rosalie

Because its a beautiful language to learn speak , understand and celebrate. Its a unique language that only we have here in Aotearoa so we are very fortunate to be the caretakers of it. Te Reo Māori is a living language.

Rob

Because te reo Maori is part of New Zealand Aotearoa. It is Maori language week. Because it's fun. Because it is important to know about the Maori culture.

Room

He taonga te reo

Rongomaitawhiti

It is important because it is ME it’s who I am

Rongomai

Self directed learning every day

Rondase

Korero Maori ia ra, ia ra, Ako te reo Maori, ia ra, ia ra I runga nga kura.

Ronda

It is important to take part as we should be proud of Te Reo as an amazing and unique langauge. We have a part to play to normalise Maori everywhere.

Ronal

The Maori people, their culture and language need to be part of “they are us”. I would like to contribute to this in a small way by being able to understand the language better as the culture is embedded in the language.

Romilly

te reo māori is the unique language of the Tangata whenua. I am not of here but I have been a guest for 26 years in this beautiful country. its something I should do to be a good guest

roisin

It's a part of who I am! Learning and speaking te reo has always been a part of my life and now it's time for me to share and teach others how beautiful our Reo and culture is.

Roimata

Ahakoa he iti he pounamu - No matter how small it is our most treasured.

Robyn

It is important for me to take part as my Grandmother was a native Te Reo speaker and my mother had this vital part of her heritage stripped away from her. Time to reclaim, love and learn.

Robyn

proud of my culture

Roberta

We are a bicultural nation

Robert

Te Reo Māori is unique and does define us as NZ's including connecting us to home. I believe our whakapapa, where we come from, who we are and our beliefs connect us all together and embraces who we are as people. Te Reo Maori is so beautiful and I'm embracing learning.

Ripeka

I am Maori and feel disappointed that I can’t speak the language of my ancestors. I want to keep learning and pass on the language to my tamariki.

Rinaha

I started my Reo journey back in August with Te Wananga o Raukawa online after putting it off for years. Every day should be a celebration of our language and so taking part today is another chapter to this journey!

Rima

I am only 9 years old. This year I started being home schooled. I was never taught Maori at school while I was there and I want to learn. .

Riley

My Koro was very prominent with in Te Arawa and he worked at the Maori Radio Station here in Rotorua. He was teaching me te reo but unfortunately he passed away with i was 9yo so now i am on my journey to learn more reo and make my Koro proud.

Riki-Lee

To be involved in a nationally important activity and use what te reo i know. Tautoko

Rik

Because I am proud to be a New Zealander

Riichard

Whakanuia ā ngāi tātou - te ahurea māori, tō tātou reo te tūākiri me kī

Richie

To be more a part of this amazing country and it’s culture and people.

Richard

Te reo maori opens up a whole side of my home to me.

Richard

I am passionate to learn and keep our unique language of Aotearoa alive and well

Richard

Waiata is fun and connects to every one

Richard

Keen as to learn, relearn the Reo and be proud of who I am. If I am not already.

Richard

Maori language week.

Richard

We are a small whānau owned Aged Residential Care facility whom over the last 34 years have been a home for many of our whānau Māori from within our Hāpori. We continue to be a whare (home), a whānau (a family) and a wāhi haumaru (safe place) for many of our kaumatua who do not have any other options. We enable our people to stay closer to their turangawaewae and that too is important. We believe our Reo Māori helps to define who we are as a people here in Aotearoa and we will uphold our Reo Māori here in our little part of the Ao. Mauri ora.

Riana

As a woman of Maori descent, I believe that it is one of my greatest privileges in life to be a part of a culture so rich and powerful! I will admit that growing up, I felt disconnected to my roots but as I have grown older, I realised that it is never too late to start. I hope that is the approach that many Maori are taking on this week (and beyond). Even though it may not be our fault that we were not raised in a Maori household or attended a Maori school or even been taught about the rich history of our people; it is up to us to take that first step toward reconciling with our mother tongue.

Rhema

Hei whakatakotoria the huarahi mō ā tātou nei tamariki, mokopuna.

Rereahu

Our workplace finds it very important to embrace and encourage the opportunity to bring light to our heritage and special Maori culture.

Renee

It is important for all new zealalnders to embrace our culture and support this

Irenee

To be involved - get more educated - to feel more apart of our culture

Renee

Because it is important to keep our culture alive. It is important to learn our history and for everyone else in Aotearoa to learn it aswell. Teach our reo, our history, our kaupapa, our ways. Because the experience is one to remember

Renae

Because its good to take part in my countries culture and at least try to learn things about it.

renae

Because being a Māori who speak fluent te reo i truly believe by me speaking with everyone i am one of many people who are saving our language for generations.

Reihana

Te Reo Māori is so important and we need to treasure and preserve it.

Rebekah

To improve my everyday Te Reo skills.

Rebekah

I believe that we should all be proud of te reo Māori even if we cannot speak it. I would love to see us as a bi-lingual country in the not too distant future. It is one of the very unique and special things that defines us.

Rebekah

To keep the language alive!

Rebecca

I want to take part as I am raising two boys who are Maori, I want us all to be on a journey of learning te reo and learning more about what it means to be Maori so that the boys can grow up proudly identifying with that side of their heritage.

Rebecca

Important for us to korero

Rebecca