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 share our Reo and Tikanga

karlas

I have always been interested in the language, spiritual beliefs and Mana of Maori. It is something I hold high in value and gives me pride in knowing.

Karl

For my mokopuna

Karene

Because Maori is one of our three national languages and I want te reo Maori to flourish in Aotearoa

Karen

Because te Reo Maori is a beautiful language and I want to get better and speaking and understanding

Karen

I'm a Kiwi.

Karen

I'm interested in learning Te Reo.

karen

As a pakeha I feel it is important to support the use of te reo Māori. If I speak it, it spreads the message of inclusion, I can be a role model, and I can be part of safeguarding a beautiful and unique part of New Zealand.

Karen

always wanted to learn Te Reo but haven't had the time.

Karen

How important being a maori and not being able to korero or understand.

Karen

Te reo Maori is part of our culture, NZers from all backgrounds should be part of this korero.

Karen

To learn to speak te reo Maori

Karen

My why ? is because it is our precious taonga and at last we seem to be making some progress as a nation in acknowledging this and doing something about it, collectively and individually. How can I not want to be part of this ( especially as I feel my tipuna breathing down my neck. . . Aue! ) ?

Karen

For the well-being of Maori, and for all students to acknowledge Te Reo as an important and enrichening part of being a New Zealander The blog post slug for this story is: karen_-_christchurch_dujklmumxw64y0gc7_agja

Karen

Teacher myself and children basic te reo

Karen

He whakanui Te reo Māori i roto I taku mahi!

Kara

I am in my third year of part-time study in Te Reo Māori

Kane

Be part of the Maori kingdom. Be part of my students' background and lives. Get to know more about maori language so that I can integrate more with my students. The blog post slug for this story is: kamala_-_auckland

Kamala

Because this is our culture and it we should express our culture.

kaiya

Ko tōku reo tōku māpihi maurea.

Kahurangi

Because I'm proud of my Maori heritage and want to celebrate it.

Kahurangi-Tiwai

Because it's New Zealandese. The New Zealand language. When you go to Japan (never been there) you must either learn basic Japanese, get an interpreter or talk exclusively with a few people who have learned English as a second language. But because of colonialism and imperialism, not even New Zealanders need to speak Māori on a daily basis beyond a few basic words that have diffused into New Zealand English. English will be an important language for international business for as long as New Zealand is a Western country, but within Aotearoa there should be visible signs of Māori culture and language throughout the country to the point that virtually everyone who stays here will acquire basic knowledge of te reo Māori and tikanga simply because it's all around them.

Kaan

I want to keep this beautiful language alive for as long as I am, I want my tamariki to know and learn all about it and to continue to pass it down the whānau as long as possible. I want to be able to korero confidently and have no trouble telling the customer the fish of the day is Tarakihi not “terakee”

Mark

Because as New Zealanders we should all be incorporating Te Reo Maori in to our everyday

Justine

Playcentre is a bicultural organisation. We honour the special place of the reo and tikanga of tangata whēnua. We are all enriched in our lives by gaining knowledge of this taonga and we pass on our engagement to our tamariki.

Justine

He pakeha tuturu ahau engari ko aku uri he Maori. Ka mihi atu ahau ki nga tangata whenua o Aotearoa nei. A te mutunga he tino whanaunga a tatou katoa-ahakoa ko wai! Tu Tangata! :)

Justin

Because I come from Wales where our culture and language have been under threat for 800+ years. Wales is also aiming for 1 million speakers. Kia kaha Aotearoa.

June

To encourage me to continue using Māori greetings both verbally and written then, going forward, start learning more phrases to use.

Julie

To keep Te Reo going and to instil all values of Maori in our country

Julie

I want to support the idea of te reo Maori as our second language, supporting Te Tiriti o Waitangi and our Treaty partners.

Julie

Because it's important for my family, especially since my boys are not in the public school system where they were speaking and listening to te reo more than at home, to understand that even though they are not Maori, they are New Zealanders and part of their world. I am American and my husband a pakeha and we don't speak at home. I also want to discuss how important language is to identity and the history of language being suppressed.

Julie

I love Aotearoa for its rich culture. Maori is that culture and I want to learn more and embrace it.

Julie

Acknowledgment of the great culture and beginnings of this great country.

Julie

I want to learn more about te reo Maori language and culture

Julie

My own Ancient Gaellic language is dying out and its very important to keep connected with the knowledge and wisdom of our Whanau.

Julian

Te ao Māori is vital for the regeneration of Aotearoa

Juhi

I have always been interested in languages, but Te Reo was never taught at my school in the late 1950s!

Judy

Im 74 years old! Never to old to learn.

Judy

We are so lucky to have a beautiful language and my journey to being fluent has been a process and any opportunity to increase my knowledge of te reo maori I want to embrace.

Judy

Kia ora, Talofa lava, I am Samoan, and I speak, write and read in my own reo. In addition, my children are also Tongan and I speak, write and read in Tongan reo as well. My mokopuna are of Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island Maori, Italian, Irish and Pakeha ethnicities, and the reo is a crucial part of who they are here in Aotearoa NZ, in the Pacific, and wherever they go and live. I support te reo Maori as it is our indigenous and one of our official reo in Aotearoa NZ and te reo Maori enriches our lives and who we are as a people here and in the Pacific region. Being bilingual is a great advantage in academic success and a blessing. Our reo are gifts we pass on to our future generations and it is their right to have access to their reo, and our responsibility collectively to ensure our reo survives and continues to bless all who engage with it. Fa'afetai tele Ia manuia le vaiaso o le gagana Maori. Nga mihi nui Judy

Judy

I want to support the survival of the Maori language and its use in NZ.

Judith

Te reo is part of this country and its people, and is a beautiful language that I want to be able to use more confidently and with pride.

Jude

I'm not fluent in Te Reo Maori, I have some understanding. I stand with everyone to celebrate being Maori and speaking our Reo.

Joyce

Just to support the Maori who were the first people to discover Aotearoa and help raise the awareness, rather than always purely focusing on living our busy daily lives.

Joy

Te reo is a path to connecting deeper with all things te ao Maori and tikanga Maori

Josh

Maori is a beautiful culture and language and I would love to see it more integrated into daily life in New Zealand

joseph

It's important for me to take part because celebrating our native culture is an important step into bringing everyone closer together

Joseph

Kia mōhio mai te Kāwanatanga me te ao whānui me ngā tāngata o Aotearoa he mea nui, whakaharahara to reo Māori, arā, he tokomaha ngā tāngata e tautoko ana i te reo Māori, ā, kāore hoki e hiahia ana kia mate noa te reo.

Joseph

To promote and encourage our kaiako to korero Maori by giving them the skills and resources to use

Jordan

I want to see te reo māori be strong and celebrated in Aotearoa. I have a dream to one day be a proficient speaker of te reo māori.

Jordan

It's to help make up for the lack of spoken Māori in the household growing up even though two in the household were fluent speakers. Also to help make up for my lack of enthusiasm for the subject while studying Māori at college. It is also to reaffirm my current want/need to learn and speak it now in my current life.

Jay

I want to be a part of this event

Jordan.

I believe in bi-culturalism in Aotearoa

Jon

because te reo Māori is important

Jojo

It just makes sense, living in Aotearoa

John

To be an example of what a "New Zealander" (non Maori) should be.

John

Increase knowledge of Te Reo to improve understanding and eventually speak the language

John

To develop a more connected and understanding community and celebrate te reo Maori.

john

Growing the use of te reo is a crucial part of protecting Māori culture and indigenous rights. You can't truly understand a culture without getting to know some of its language

Joe

to learn, and share in the culture

Jodie

to regain part of my heritage

Jodene

New to New Zealand and important for me to understand our local context for research and research translation especially in relation to workplace health and safety.

Joanne

We live with and alongside Maori in a multicultural society. We need to continue growing awareness of Te reo Maori and celebrate it where we can.

Joanne

I wish to improve my pronunciation of te reo and cultural competence in my work

Joanne

He tino kaupapa tenei

Joanne

Kura Kaupapa Maori or Kohanga wasn't around when I was younger nice to see our moko continuing our language.

Joanne

I just want to learn te reo for me.

Joan

Ko Jo Corlett ahau Toi Kaiako Te aho O Te Kura Pounamu I am a passionate art educator and would like to continue to promote the widespread use of Te Reo as part of our national identity of Aotearoa. I encourage akonga to learn about their whakapapa and cultural significance through creating art works of Toi Maori

Kristin

Because I am a New Zealander, I would like to be confident using basic terms.

Jo

to often beautiful things are lost in the crowded world. i would like to hear this language for ever, for everyone to have the opportunity to learn and pass it on with the wonderful stories from the ancestors .

jo

For my own personal growth and because my moko is learning Te Reo Maori at her kura and I'd like to be able to have conversations with her.

Jo

kia rongo, kia kite, kia mau āku tauira ki ngā ahuatanga tini o te ao Māori

Jo

It's a national language for good reason. In a small way learning and using te reo helps the decolonisation process, helps bring tge people together more, in fairness, as we were meant to be.

Jo

Learning Health and Well-being

Jo

Ko Ngāti Pākehā te iwi. He kaiako ahau. He tauira o te Reo Māori hoki. Tēnā tātou katoa. As a tertiary teacher I am really pleased to be finally beginning my studies of Te Reo this year. The other day I gave a partial version of my pepeha during a session in which we all introduce ourselves and was really happy when a Māori student said that she hadn't intended to use her own pepepa but she appreciated mine and did give her own (as did another Māori student in the group). I am so pleased that my small effort made it more comfortable for these students to share this important part of their identity (and me my own as well).

Jim

Im a Canadian married to a Maori, Its important that I have some kupu and respect the indigenous peoples, my whanau and my tamariki.

JIll

Important that all New zealanders learn Te Reo

Jill

because Maori were here before white people so it is important for me to have that respect as the Maori were neglected for many years and still are.

jethro

Because Te reo maori is a very important culture to me and I want to learn more about it.

Jessyka
Jessica

For my ancestors and future generation

Jessie

I think that it is important because this is our history and it is important that we know about this.

Jessica

māori is one of my biggest passions. i love learning it, speaking it and being apart of the culture. I want to involve myself as much as possible

Jessica

I am from Australia. My choice to move to Aotearoa means embracing and learning the culture, laungauge and traditions of the nations first people. This is Maori land. To not try would be reapating history as a European/pakeha woman. Unwillingness to learn, is not the vibe. We can only move forward if we are willing to learn and embrace with open eyes and hearts.

Jessica

To keep my whakapapa and my culture alive. To learn the reo better to reconect with my matua my hapu and my whenua.

Jessica

I have no Maori blood in me but i feel connected to the beautiful culture of our country. There is so much to be celebrated in Te Reo, our beautiful Aotearoa and our culture. I want to learn and grow and immerse my children in our beautiful roots.

Jessica

Te Reo is one of the official languages in New Zealand. It should be actively encouraged, not just during Maori language week to learn and appreciate Te Reo, regardless of your background or nationality.

Jess

It's important to teach my kids what we can do to encourage NZ to become the truly bicultural nation it is supposed to be

Jess

It’s a great time to be a live to witness the uprising of our Te Reo and what that bring to Maori tikaga

Jerad

This is our heritage, our culture

Jenny

My why is about respect, feeling connected and enjoyment. Te reo Maori is a beautiful language and in learning te reo we gain so much more than a language. I wish to one day to be able to use te reo Maori as naturally as I do English, so it is incorporated into my life in every way possible.

Jenny

Why; its part of my and our identity as New Zealanders

Jenny

My children and extended whanau are Maori. Also, I work part time at our local marae. I want to be able to understand more when whanau there speak Te Reo to me. They do it unflinchingly and I'm trying hard to get the gist, but don't always succeed!

Jenny

My children have maori heritage and I don't want them to lose that. I want them to know more and learn about their culture. By me learning Te Reo Maori it will help my children.

Jenny

I have been in NZ over 20 years. I pick up odd words of reo, I always use KiaOra or Morena, but I would like to learn to use more every day.

Jenny

Because why not?

Jennifer

NZ is my second home. I just LOVE it! ! I have such a spiritual connection with this beautiful country! !

Jenna

Because it is one of only two unique languages we have here and i believe it is important to embrace our heritage and ensure it is carried through to the next millennia and beyond.

Jenna

To learn and emphase the culture

Jenna-lee

Because Te reo is awesome and a vital part of respect, love of and for Māoridom <3

Jenn