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 am Australian born and have lived in Aotearoa for nearly 40 years. I think it is important for NZ to share its indigenous culture and language.

Max

Te Reo Maaori keeps me connected to my whakapapa and my Tuupuna.

Matutaera

so great to be able to show our support for our nation's first language.

Matthew

We are from New Zealand, and it's important we acknowledge and learn all all that entails, a big part of that is Māori. Ko te manu kai I te miro, nōna te ngāhere, ko te manu kai I te mātauranga, nōna te ao!

Matthew

Because it is important we honour the spirit of the treaty and the bi-cultural nature of our society, embracing the Tikanga of Maori to strengthen our society as a whole.

Matteo

Because it's cool!

Matt

Te Reo Māori is our official spoken language and is a vital taonga. We need to all put in effort to keep the language alive and normalise its use so that everyone can feel comfortable and confident to hear and speak Te Reo.

Matt

Kia puawai te reo rangatira

Matiu

Because Te rep Maori is important o me as it is important to new Zealand and I think that schools should teach it more

Matilda

It’s our culture

Mata

For myself so far away from home For my mokopuna

Marylou

Improve my confidence in using Te Reo each day

Mary

I had two years at Te Wananga o Aotearoa learning Te Reo. I want to continue this journey and to keep learning. Te Reo is a beautiful language which is integral to Māori culture and cannot be dissected from it. As a New Zealander and a Māori I feel that it is important for me to learn Te Reo to help make the language flourish.

Mary

Because te reo is an essential part of who we are as New Zealanders.

Mary

Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand upholds the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and recognises our role in upholding the dignity and mana of tangata whenua, including promotion of te reo Māori as the first language of this land.

Martin

To pay homage to a country and a people who allowed my ancestors to share the bounty of this land. From Scotland to Te Tai Tokerau.

Martin

As an immigrant to New Zealand with NZ born children who are being immersed in Te Reo Maori from the start of their Early Childhood experience i believe it is important for me to also learn

Martin

Because I want to understand and be part of the cultural diversity of Aotearoa.

Martha

My daughter is my why. My husband and I were bought up without our culture, so its important our daughter carries that. She teaches us, and we also study to learn.

Marlin

Because I am proud that I know even a little te reo Māori

Mark

Strengthen the beautiful Māori language

Mark

Because I stay in this beautiful country.

Mark

To support the language of Maori. Also to support IDEA Services organisation.

marjoriie

Because te reo is so beautiful and a taonga it’s unique to all who love our country and people of this land . the haka has put us on a global stage and so would te reo . I just wish my nan was here to teach me conversational Maori.

Marion Olliver

I have recently returned to NZ after many years overseas. We are very proud to promote our Maori and Polynesian culture internationally but a sense of pride is hollow when not backed up by actions to make it part of my personal culture and way of being. Learning te reo is a first step.

Marion

Teach the kids

Marion

toku whakapapa. Ko toku reo ko toku taonga, ko toku taonga ko toku reo.

Marika

I have learned Te Reo at school , and Te Ao Maori at Polytech. I want to keep it up so I don't forget

Marika

I believe everyone who lives in Aotearoa should have the opportunity to learn Te Reo. It is an official language in this country after all. Also, if we want to honour te Tiriti we need to learn the language in order to understand the culture and kaupapa.

Marieke

As a New Zealander, it is our Reo!

Marie

Interested to learn.

Marie

Kei te mokemoke au mo te reo kaore na tangata o konei mohio ki te korero Maori te nuinga he Pakeha.

Mariana

I am a Grandmother to 2 Maori mokopuna and I would like to set an example to them to embrace their heritage and language.

Marian

Important to embrace the language of the country and people who accepted us when me migrated here.

Maria

Te reo is an important part of New Zealand/Aotearoa's cultural identity. The more we celebrate it and enjoy its richness, the more we can come together as a people.

Maria

It's important to take part, as it is a part of us. A part of New Zealand that can enrich so much knowledge onto others.

Maria

As a citizen of a country with dual languages, I'd like to develop my te reo Māori to feel confident to use it and teach others.

Maria

Kia Ora. I was watching Pere Wihongi on T. V. One this morning and he really inspired me to take part and awesome waiata. Nga mihi Maria

Maria

I want to recognise Te Reo as the original language of this country, and begin to use it in everyday situations.

Margot

Important kaupapa , need to show my support

Margaret

Because it is important to get the language in constant use so it becomes an every day th8ng not just a token gesture

Marg

Because I believe our native language should be spoken by more people , more often .

Maree

Speaking Te Reo supports my work with Whanau

Maragret

Te Reo itself is important and participating in Huataus like this help us get more involved.

Tamara

National indigenous language

Manpreet

I am tyring to make an effort to learn more about my Maori side - with the hopes of being able to understand when Te Reo is being spoken and to be able to respond accordingly.

Malia

This is important for me and my tupuna and my whakapapa.

Malama

I am of Paskifika decent however I acknowledge the beautiful reo of our Tangata whenua in this beautiful country we call home , It is important to maintain our identity especially our language that we speak , Im keen to learn more and share with my family also ,

YOUR PLACE- To wahi

This is our language and it's good to share it with the rest of the world.

Norton

to help the maori comnunity out as any way as possilbe

maifala

Diversity in this world is important. It makes life more interesting and enjoyable. A culture is kept alive mainly by its language so to see any language or culture in decline is very sad. Te Reo is a beautiful language that is special and unique in NZ and to think it was almost wiped out to colonisation is scary! Let’s hope we can get to a million and more Reo speakers by 2040 (or earlier)!

Mahlon

So the language is not lost and becomes a part of everyone's day.

maggie

I am Maori from Ngati Wai living in the south island and this kind of activity makes me feel closer to my family

Mady

Even though I'm not of Māori heritage, I think that it's extremely important for the Māori language to be enhance, not just in schools, but also in the work places and in the community. I think that most people are still a bit racial to Māori without knowing it (though we are getting much better) but the true meaning of Māori language has been lost, I think, and it's time that we regain that back and bring back the true meaning of Aoteroa.

Madisyn

Because I think it is important to learn Maori.

Madeline

cause mister is making me

mace

I think Te Reo Maori is an important part of our history and want it to continue

Maalosi

I am still learning te reo and my culture. I have been very disconnected and am on a learning journey to reconnect

Lyric

Show the importance of Te Reo Maori to our students! Let them show us what they know and teach them new words, phrases, games, and stories.

Lynne

We feel it is important to normalise Te Reo Maori in Aotearoa We have an office where some are fluent and others are new to this beautiful language. Our office has Maori and non-Maori workers who all support the Reo being spoken as a nation

Lynne

Journey of learning with mokopuna. Building Confidence, resilience

Lynette

Cultural respect, enrichment, and our future

Lynette

If you care for someone you care about what is important to them.

Lyndon

It's an official language.

Lynda

To celebrate te reo and continue the revival!

Lydia

I myself am from Ngāti rangitihi. For me personally my culture is so important to me. I didn't grow up learning much about it because my māori side of the family were distant and confusing. Therefore I never gained the opportunity to see my marae, learn or be brought up amongst my culture. However I decided to do it for myself. I competed at competitive kapa haka in secondary schools. I planned a visit to my marae up north. I contacted possible whānau to help me learn. And I also study Māori at school and have been for the last 4 years.

lusahn

It's all too easy to live my life as a Pākeha ignoring Māori language entirely. My friends and family generally have, we feel like it's somehow not 'for' us. But I've recently had my eyes opened - keeping te reo Māori alive is the duty and privilege of ALL New Zealanders! I want to be part of the reason it survives and thrives, not part of the reason it sinks into obscurity.

Luke

Maori is important to New Zealand. It is from here in NZ. We need to protect the Maori language. If we can keep it going for now and try to keep alive, the Maori language might just stay on this planet. It is up to us, Kiwis to keep this amazing language alive. If we can all particapate in this Maori week every year we might just do it.

Luke

The importance of recognising our traditional language and acknowledging where part of my family is form.

Luke

I have just started my personal Te Reo Māori journey through Te Wānaga o Raukawa, and Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is a great reminder for me to keep going in my mahi! Karawhiua!

Luke

I am a student in occupational therapy a learning how important it is to preserve and use tikanga and traditions, language and healthcare for tangatawhenua. I come from a bicultural family and i am deepening my roots through education around nz history.

lucy

my teacher said

Lucy

I often feel ignorant and really want to learn and understand more. It’s a beautiful language and holds such meaning.

Lucy

It is important to learn and keep the language alive for the other generations to come. It is a language that makes New Zealand us.

Lucretia

I just think this is a really awesome way to try and reignite or bring back the language that was once taken from us

Lucia

Currently on a journey of learning Te Reo

Luana

A proud New Zealander of many generations but am embarrassed that I can not pronounce words and only know the meaning a very few.

Louise

Kia Ora. . . Te Reo should be a natural part of our learning throughout school/university and life. It’s our absolute duty to ensure it’s continuation for all New Zealander’s.

Louise

I want to be able to be a part of Aotearoa society. To do this I need to speak Te Reo!

Louise

I have lived in NZ for 5 years and believe that this in an important part of being a citizen, not just on paper but really feeling a sense of belonging. It is not only respectful but interesting to understand Māori customs and protocols.

Louise

So that I can learn and be more confident in speaking Te Reo

Louise

It's a part of New Zealand culture and important to encourage everyone to learn and share Te Reo. I have two nephews who are Maori and I want to be able to communicate with them in Te Reo.

Louise

As one of the official languages of Aotearoa, I feel an obligation and responsibility to acknowledge and engage with te reo Māori on an everyday basis, as part of our culture in 2020 and beyond.

Louise

To be part of Aotearoa's journey of decolonisation

Louise

To get people speaking and understanding Te Reo

Louise

The people we support are passionate about culture and music.

Lorna

The Maori language is important for New Zealand because it is the language of tangata whenua. I am of Samoan descent, and married to a descendant from Ngati Koroki Kahukura. We have 2 children, and I walked with them on their journey at Kohanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa Maori and Turakina Maori Girls College. Aotearoa's history is based on the tangata whenua, and we as New Zealanders should keep the language alive for our children and generations to come.

Lorita

Its important to grow and strengthen our language as it is uniquely ours not only as Maori but as New Zealanders. It helps with the identity of our rangatahi and promotes being proud of who we are and what our ancestors have fought for over the years.

Loretta

I am interested in Maori culture and am keen to learn more about it. I am passionate about learning about history and culture. This would also help me be more aware. It is important for me as I can then act accordingly in the community.

Lorayin

i want to learn more

Lola

Why not?. . . daughter got our whānau involved.

Liza

Making New Zealand my new home, I would like to be part of its culture. :-)

Liza

Because I think it's very important to keep this beautiful language alive and it's important to who we are as a nation.

Liz

Ko Aotearoa tenei, to tatou ahurei motuhake. Matou kene whakarangatira i o taatau me o taatau hitori, tikanga me nga reo. This is New Zealand, our special uniqueness. We can enrich our lives with our history, practices and languages.

Liz

I'm in my second year of learning te reo Māori, along with my husband and this is good practice to encourage us to use it. We're both Pākehā and believe it is important for us all to know some reo, and along with the Māori culture. I want to encourage others to learn, whoever they are.

Liz

We are a school that practices Waiata and Reo daily and also have an immersion class.

Liz

By making Maori language a part of my everyday life, I hope to strengthen my understanding of tikanga Maori and confirm my credentials to be a Kiwi.

Liz
Salita

To ensure that te reo is maintained and passed on to future generations to continue on this path.

Lisa

It the language of my people

Lisa