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 be able to learn the language of our country and feel confident using/speaking a few words.

Jenn

Because Te Reo is an official language in NZ. Everyone should speak it or at least at a basic level.

Jen

For my son to learn about something that is unique to New Zealand and is open to learning other languages and cultures

Jen

to encourage others to learn

Jen

To help show recognition that te reo belongs in our everyday use and educate myself along the way

Jemma

I feel strongly about weaving Te Reo into education, the workplace and within your whanau.

Jemma

R10's reasons: Te Reo is a significant and unique language in NZ because it was the original language spoken in our country. Maori is our history and it is important as New Zealanders to keep up with, and learn about the traditions our ancestors have created, so that these are not lost. It is important to acknowledge this culture as it has a strong connection to our land in Aotearoa. As the team of 5 million it is our responsibility to keep this language and rich culture alive and encourage our whanau to use this language so that our future generations can inherit the aroha of te reo.

Jemma

I am a New Zealander and I believe that all New Zealanders should be able to speak Te Reo

Jeannette

I'm in education and normalising te reo Māori is important for our tamariki.

Jean

I'm a proud New Zealander.

Jayne

KIA ORA AI TE REO MAORI, KIA TAUTOKO TE KAUPAPA O TE REO MAORI. .

Kristin

To respect and nurture the Maori Culture and Language.

Bijay

Te Reo is a beautiful language and something so unique to NZ, its part of who I am, where I come from and who I will always be.

Jason

Personally te reo is the backbone ki te ao Maori. I hope to speak the language of our tipuna and speak our native tongue with my family.

Jason

Its important for everyone to understand the history of their country and indigenous people.

Jason

It is the reo of the whenua.

Jason

we doing it at work

Jasmine

So my baby and I can feel more confident and connected to who we are. To ignite the fire within for the next generation as well as myself.

Jasmine

We believe in the revitalisation of our reo Maori - we know that we play a part as individuals and as a community organisation. We are committed to the journey of learning, growing and encouraging. Kia kaha te reo Maori.

Jasmine

It is important to be one in a million because Te Reo Maori belongs to our indigenous people and the more that participate, the more understanding people will have of this culture then we can break down barriers and get along with each other so racism can be abolished. Let's normalise this unique language and make it a daily interaction.

Jasmine

Te Reo Maori language is such a key to our culture, it is important that as New Zealanders we all understand it and celebrate it

Jarrod

To make it ok to speck te reo maori.

Janine

Te reo Maori is part of what makes me proud to be a kiwi

Janine

As a former kaiwhakaako (high school teacher of Maori and other languages) I see the pride young Maori develop as they reclaim their dignity by acquiring and using the language of their tipuna. Also I have taught te reo to Pakeha adults who are then able to respect people and places by pronouncing their names more correctly.

Janet

I wish to improve my understanding of the language and interact more with Te Reo. I am loving learning about my husbands Whakapapa - but know my understanding of the sounds and vowels etc are lacking.

Janet

I'm recapturing an important part of my heritage. Te reo wasn't available when I was at school so I'm taking the opportunity now and learning with my work colleagues.

Jane

Want to be included and inclusive with all our cultures. Have a good grasp of Pakeha, but just a pinch of Māori. I want to learn The Rep, but it's more difficult than I thought, especially alone.

Jane

Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori. I am taking part as a way for me to connect to my whakapapa but also to encourage all who live on this whenua to embrace te reo.

Jane

I'd love Aotearoa New Zealand to be truely bilingual for everyone one day. Everything we can do to normalise Te Reo Māori in our mahi, the sooner the change will happen.

Jan

I am committed to being part of a bicultural Aotearoa and being able to participate in a bilingual way is an essential part of that.

Jan

Language shapes worldview and culture - Reo Maori should be shaping our worldview as New Zealanders, there is much we can learn.

Jamie

Te Reo is a unique part of our national story, our past, our present and one way or another our future. I happily support the revitalisation of the language as best I can.

James

I want my kids to know that the language is important

James

To be able to speak in our reo and teach my tamariki our culture. My son is only speaking the basics as for my girls they korero in both maori and english.

Jaleesa

I live in New Zealand and want to support the "life" of te reo.

Jaki

It’s important to me because my father never got to know or learn about the Māori side of his family. Even though he is gone, I want to learn the language and culture because it is part of my heritage. And I want to pass it on to my kids so they could one day pass it on to theirs.

Jaime

it’s who we are, we are our reo, our culture.

Jael

To learn more about the indigenous culture of NZ, to revitalize a language that was unjustly taken away from Maori.

Jadene

For me to be able to bring the languag into my workplace and inspire the children

Jade

It's the language of our indigenous peoples of Aotearoa, and it's a beautiful language! <3

Jade

Its important for myself and my whanau to learn our REO properly and understanding of tikanga. My daughter is maori\tongan I want her to acknowledge both her cultures.

Jade Marihia

Celebrate being maori, reclaim our language for future generations. . .

Jacqui

I am fairly new to this country, and want to learn about and participate in my new home.

Jacqui

Kia ora, I would love to learn to speak te reo Maori fluently. It helps me in acknowledging tangata whenua and honouring them and being/feeling more at one with my friends leading to mutual understanding. I have invited others to join me at 12 00 today. There will be about 14 of us in two groups, (following Covid-19 guidelines). Kia kaha, Jacqui Miles

Jacqui

Honour my ancestors.

Jacob

Te Reo is our nations language and we as a organisation look to honour and respect tangata whenua and Te Tiriti

Jacob

Te Reo Māori makes New Zealand, and New Zealanders, unique. I feel pride when I hear it spoken or see it used.

Jack

To enjoy the beauty of the reo. To honour a bicultural Aotearoa, to challenge myself to step into the discomfort of not being in a Pākehā dominant space/language and grow my ability to connect with others through te reo Māori.

Izzie

Because i think it's important to learn maori

Isabelle

Photo of me Graduating from Lvl. 2 te reo

Irene

Te reo is an important part of our culture and it is important that we strengthen our knowledge and grow it

Fiona

It is important to learn and share te reo with the tamariki and their whanau that visit the library.

Ingrid

INTERESTED TO LEARN TE REO

Indu

To teach my children the importance f learning Maori

Imogen

Ko te reo Maaori te reo tuuturu o ngooku tuupuna

Ike

As an immigrant I think it's important to learn about Aotearoa as I live here, and am hoping to become conversational in all 3 official languages.

Hyeon Joo
Hugh

Kia noho pumau to tatou reo ki tona whenua

Hoturoa

He waka eke noa

Horiana

Mo aku mokopuna! !

Hohipe

The blog post slug for this story is: hoana_joanne_-_kaikohe

Hoana Joanne

I love that NZ is a multicultural country but I also can’t help but feel ripped off when I hear other people speaking there language because I was never given the same opportunity. While I can speak Te Reo now I am still learning and I feel like some of my identity was taken away from me which I am slowly getting back through Te Reo education.

Hira

Te Reo Rangatiria has many lessons and insights for all of us. It is important to share these with our people and tauiwi. My organisation is largely non- Maaori, having an event like this raises awareness and gives a koha from Te Ao Maaori.

Hineatua

The importance is providing students knowledge and opportunities to learn Te Reo Maori even if it be basics.

Hineana

It is part of what it means to be a New Zealander. if we live here then the history is part of what we share.

Hilary

Mō tātou, ā, mō ka uri a muri ake nei.

Rahera

Mo aku tamariki

Anihera

Because it's is a part of me, who I am, that I have neglected n decided to attend to for myself n to make it relevant n real in my life now, not continue to put to the side to do one day. I'd like to demonstrate to my australian born mokopuna by speaking te reo around them n teaching them how beautiful our culture, te reo, tikanga, waita truely is by opening this up to them n speaking te reo to encourage them to know more.

Hera

te reo Māori lets me express who I come from and what I value

ria

E hoa, ko te reo o nga matua. ko te reo motuhake o tenei whenua. Kei raro tonu tatou te iwi maori e putu ana. He aha ke tena momo ahuatanga? Me whakanui te reo ka tika, hoino. Ta Himi Henare - "Kua tawhiti ke to haerenga mai kia kore e haere tonu, he nui tonu a tatou mahi kia kore ai e mahi tonu".

Hemi

It is important to me to take part in this journey as it will help me connect with my Maori roots

Helena

Because I live in Aotearoa, its where my heart is.

Helen

As an educator and New Zealander it just seems right that te reo Māori is part of my and everyone's language. I am taking part to show my support for such an important aspect of Aotearoa and our community.

Helen

The kindergarten community is committed to honoring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and continue to build our confidence and competence in using Te Reo Maori and ensuring te Ao Maori is incorporated into our programme.

Helen

Te Reo matters!

Helen

Because the Maori language is an important part not only for the Maori people but for New Zealand

Helen

It is important to me because we should all be doing our part to upskill and make te reo a part of our everyday lives.

Helen

To learn respect for Te Reo and continue our bicultural journey as a nation.

Helen

I am not a NZ by birth, but feel this will be lost if we don't promote it for the future generations.

Helen

Everyone can contribute to making Te Reo Māori a living language that is part of the culture in Aotearoa, so I want to be part of that.

Hedwig

This is part of my journey to use te reo in my everyday language & life.

Heather

Beginning to learn te reo is one of the coolest things I have done and with this knowledge my understanding of this place and the people who live here has grown It is exciting to understand what I hear on the radio and TV, at powhiri and on marae and I feel good when I can korero with other speakers - baby steps. Te reo Māori is the 1st language of Aotearoa, it is a beautiful language and it warms my heart to hear it spoken ia rā ia rā.

Heather

To support the kaupapa.

Heather

Language is a beautiful triumph of humanity. It should be celebrated and always used with care and compassion.

Heather

I think it’s important to enrich and celebrate te reo and the Maori culture throughout Aotearoa!

Hazel

My why. . . . To reclaim my birth right Te Mana tuku iho, no Mua ra ano

Hayleymay

I want to learn more te reo maori and pass that on to my tamaki

Hayley

Preserve language, develop a new habit and make speaking te reo Maori the 'norm'. Embrace and engage in new learning - personal growth! Without new learning we are going backwards. . . learning has to be a lifelong journey.

Hayley

I’m not sure

Harry

I want to have more of a connection to my heritage and culture and be a part of the drive to spread the growth of Te Reo Maori!

Hannah

To continue to promote Te Reo. It is important to nurture this language for generations.

hamish

because

hamiora

To continue to empower & affirm my language

Hamie

when I first came to school I had no care for learning moari but now that I've learnt that more then half my family can I want to be able to join in on there conversation

Hāmiora

There is a lot to learn from the Maori culture, language and traditions. I regret that Te Reo was not a required subject at school. My maternal grandparents spoke it fluently. My great grandmother only spoke Maori. It's a travesty that within 2 generations my whanau no longer spoke Aotearoa's native language.

Guy

We are a bicultural nation

Gus

Gotta keep this taonga alive.

Greg

Language is culture, and for the preservation of Maoriitanga it's important to speak. Maori is unique to NZ and a source of pride and interest for me as I live overseas. I've learnt another language and want to learn the first language of Aotearoa.

Greg

Further develop an understanding and knowledge of Maoridom

Grant

As a British born NZ citizen I am acutely aware of the history my people have in oppressing Maori in this country and I am committed to doing my part to keep Te Reo prominent and not losing the language.

Graham