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'

Our team are learning Te Reo Māori every day for an hour this week, including learning a karakia and shared kai to observe the Māori Language Moment on September 14. We also have highlighted Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori on our Facebook page.

Ruth

Ko te reo o tēnei whenua - ko tō tātou Reo Rangatira

Dot

Ko Laurence toku ingoa. No Tutaenui ahau i Rangitikei.

Laurence

For te reo Māori to be spoken, understood and used everyday across ngā motu!

Grace

I will be reflecting on my Te Reo journey and making an extra effort to incorporate it into my conversations.

Jennifer

My daughter and I are learning Te Iwi e so we can sing it together. I am also doing the Huia te Reo 1 through Te Wānanga o Raukawa why -because its a privilege to be Tangata o Tiriti

Tamsyn

In Aotearoa's land of green and gold, Where Māori stories and legends are told, Te Reo Māori, a language so grand, Holds the heart of this unique, sacred land. With words like waka and whānau so dear, It preserves a culture we all should hold near, For in learning the tongue of this ancient lore, We unlock the past and traditions of yore. In Māori Language Week, we stand as one, To celebrate a language under the sun, For it's not just words, it's a bridge that we build, To honor the Treaty of Waitangi's thrill. In schools, it's taught to the young and the wise, A language that opens so many new skies, In knowledge and culture, it's deeply entwined, A treasure for all, a gem to be mined. Employment, education, and tours that inspire, Te Reo Māori sets our hearts all on fire, With equity, justice, and history's grace, It leads us together in one common embrace. Bilingual minds, enriched and alive, With Te Reo Māori, we continue to strive, To understand cultures, to heal and unite, In this tapestry of stars shining bright. So let us embrace this language with glee, For it shapes our future, it sets us all free, Te Reo Māori, a gift from the past, In the heart of New Zealand, forever it'll last.

Te Ao

As an immigrant with North American Indian ancestry (below the US government's recognised percentage), I can relate to the impacts of colonisation upon Māori. I love the concept of karakia at the beginning and ending of a meeting. My current favorite opening karakia is: E te hui Whāia te mātauranga kia mārama | For this gathering Kia whai take ngā mahi katoa | Seek knowledge for understanding Tū maia, tū kahav| Have purpose in all that you do Aroha atu, aroha mai | Stand tall, be strong Tātou i a tātou katoa | Let us show respect I am still working on finding a closing karakia that resonates with me, which means I often lack a closing karakia. I know for all the tikanga Māori purists, this needs to be rectified sooner rather than later.

Karen

To let go of my whakama of not growing up with my reo and continue to grow.

Taila

Te Reo is a beautiful language and it is not celebrated enough in Aotearoa. I enjoy having the privilege to ako the kupu and culture. I will share my passion for Te Reo with my colleagues through games and activities and shared kai.

Susanna

For me it’s about learning and becoming stronger in our understanding of Te Ao Māori together. I feel lucky to participate in sharing the beauty of the language and culture in small ways every day.

Lara

It is great to see the tide turning and Te Reo becoming an official language in practice. I want to be part of this journey!

Jane

I keep the korero alive with my tamariki so that we can learn Te Reo together.

Shaheeda

I am wanting to learn Te Reo Māori because I think it is a beautiful language and part of who we are as Aotearoa.

Charlotte

Kia ora koutou, I want to understand and kōrero te reo Māori as it is a taonga.

Kara

I want to share our kai here in Kakanui, South Island. Here is my puha garden. So many non-Maori here don't know what it is and the nutritional and mineral benefit. Not to mention how tasty it is in a boil up. Kai is so plentiful, but people don't know how to harvest and prepare it.

Sheryl

My WHY is because of my whānau. My children and my mokopuna need to know about their ātaahua language.

Lynda
Moengaroa Maureen

Why, because in all my life I have never felt more at home as I do when I step into a marae. I am enamored by the language and the culture and want to be a part of keeping it alive. Poipoia te kakano kia puawai. . . .

Mel

Kia māhorahora te reo ki ngā wāhi katoa, me ngā kura katoa o te motu, pēnei i tō tātou Kāreti, ka kīia he kura Pākehā engari e hāpai nei i tō tātou reo rangatira

Koa

I want to learn and grow my knowledge and skills to help educate the generations to come.

Bronie

My mokopuna (when they come') are my "why" and the changes I would like for them. As an educator, I have an opportunity to influence change and build knowledge to ensure the wrongs of the past are not repeated in the world of education.

Juanita

I do it for my tamariki and whānau who are Māori. I do it for the tamariki at my Kura. I do it for myself as tau iwi and a kaiako, I want to be part of the revitalisation of this beautiful language for the many generations to come.

Simone

Whakarongorua te maunga Utakura te awa Ngātokimatawhaorua te waka Puketawa te marae Te Honihoni te hapū Ngāpuhi te iwi My why ~ tōku whānau; āku tamariki, taku moko, ōku mātua, ā tātou rangatahi. I speak our reo rangatira for them. I learn and teach our reo Māori for them. And when they’re ready to learn I’ll be there to tautoko i a rātou.

Nare

As a Kaiako at our kura, it is important to acknowledge our Maori heritage and teach our tamariki the reo, waiata, stories and tikanga. We can awhi and help each other learn.

Lisa
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Mauri Ora ki te Mana Maori x

Hui

Ko tāku hiahia, ko te ako i te reo Māori au ia rā ia rā, nā te mea, he tino ātaahua te reo! I want to be part of decolonising, and normalising the use of te reo Māori across the motu, by using the kupu that I know as much as I can. Ahakoa he iti, he pounamu.

Lisa

To honor my Tupuna and create a legacy for my children

Tessa

To inspire the next generation to see te reo as the taonga it is! !

Amy

Kia whai wāhi ngā tangata katoa ki te ako So everyone has the space to learn

Terri

Hari ki Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori koutou. Karawhiua!

Terri

To remain in touch with my indigenous identity and roots albeit being away from my whenua <3

Angelicia

Help the next generation coming through learn te reo Maori

Sam

We are so lucky to have this taonga in Aotearoa, this week is a great chance to celebrate that by giving it a try!

Oliver

This is my why. Ko te mea nui rawa taku tamariki, kei te toanga ratou me kei te aroha au ki a ratou ❤️

Richard

It's likely that some of my ancestors were part of the orchestrated move to eradicate Te Reo Māori. I choose to be part of the generation who supports Te Reo Māori to thrive. Kia Kaha Te Reo Māori

Rachel

My daughter and I are learning Te Reo. It's a beautiful language and I'm happy we get to be on this journey of learning and discovery together. Kia ora rawa atu

Anne

I will be using TeReo in my emails/correspondence and with my daughter :)

Juniper

Te reo is a treasure that needs protecting. As a New Zealander I want to see it flourish. To me it is something unique and special about our country and it cannot be found in the rest of the world. If we do not try we will lose it over time. I give Ireland as an sample of that happening today, sadly.

Tracey

Kia ora e hoa mā! Our Aotearoa team has he iti te reo, but will be practising in the office and on calls with partner organisations. Our UK team are also jumping on board and embracing te reo! Kia kaha te reo māori!

Sarah

My tamāhine and I are learning te Reo Māori in the hope that one day we are able to speak it as our primary language at home. Kia kaha te Reo Māori! ! !

Yvonne

No reira e kore rawa e mate taku reo, engari ka tipu mo nga tau e haere ake nei.

Daedae

My Country, My Culture, My Blood. This is my why ❤️

Gabrielle

As Kaitiaki of early development of our tamariki we believe It is important that te reo Māori is valued and used in all ECE settings.

Anastasia

Celebrate together as a strong community who embrace Te reo Māori!

Missy

I love the Polynesian people especially Aotearoa because my son lives in Kerikeri.

Rosângela

Speaking te reo is a useful tohu for my keti open so many avenues it’s beautiful to know other languages

Daniele

I am working on my reo to increase my use and recall of phrases, to memorise more karakia and waiata and to connect deeper with Te Ao Māori

Chelsea

Our Inquiry is driven by strong Whakatauki. Matariki's goals are made visible and alive through committing to visual displays.

Viki
Zion

Ko ngā pae tawhiti, whaia kia tata. Ko ngā pae tata, whakamaua kia tina. The potential for tomorrow depends on what we do today.

Lyla

Ko te mutunga oranga, he timatatanga kaha

Lucy

To honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi

Kahli

He Pākehā ahau. I ahau e rangatahi ana, ka pīrangi au ki te ako te reo Māori. Heoi, i tērā wā, kāore tōku kura i whakaako i te reo. Ka kī mai te tumuaki "ako te reo Wīwī kē". I hipa ngā tau maha. Ka tupu ake tōku hiahia mō te reo. Ko te reo Māori te reo tuatahi o tēnei whenua, o tōku kāinga. Kātahi ka tīmata au ki te ako i Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. E rima tau e ako ana ahau kei korā. Ehara tōku reo i te matatau, engari, mā te akoranga, ka tuwheratia te tatau ki te Ao Māori. Kua tupu ake tōku mātauranga. Ki tōku whakaaro, me ako tātou kātoa i te reo Māori, nā te mea, mā te ako ka puāwai te mārama.

Pippa

I am learning more Reo Māori through waiata, moteatea, Reo Māori classes and whakapapa. I am very lucky to have an amazing team that supports me in all areas of my journey.

Pikitia

I want to learn more Te Reo Māori because we are a bicultural country and i think it is our responsibility to acknowledge that.

Sam

To use Te Reo Māori everyday especially in the workplace.

Peter

Te reo Māori is so important for New Zealand’s history and recognition of our bicultural country. Teaching our youngest citizens from an early age gives them the foundation for life long learning

Kelly

Because I live in Aotearoa, for my Tūpuna who spoke reo Māori, and so that my pēpi will be able to kōrero Māori

Pearl
Aroha

I feel connected to this country of my birth and Māori and want to embrace and respect the treaty. Also it’s a beautiful language.

Tanea

Building better understanding & relations with my learners, add another level of fun in our space & sharing with others who are interested.

Tala

He waka eke noa We're all in this together.

Toby

We will gather together as one and sing!

Katharina

Keep the Reo alive ! Kia Kaha Korokoro

Denise

I'm taking part because I'm proud to be Māori and love our culture. A world with more Māoritanga is a better one. Mauri ora!

Aroha

I'm scared of getting it wrong so I want to feel more confident starting with some basic te reo.

Karen

Ki a au nei, e hirahira ana kia mōhio tātou ko te reo Māori he reo o tēnei whenua. Me whakanui tātou i te reo me te ao Māori. Whakarongo ki te rōreka o te reo Māori rangatira. Whakamīharo! For me, it's important that we all know that te reo Māori is the language of this land. We should celebrate te reo and te ao Māori. Listen to the melodious and esteemed Māori language. Amazing!

Elizabeth

Learning about the world around us and how to be kaitiaki of our environment

Siobhan

Nei rā te mihi a te Manapou ki te Ao kia tātou katoa e whakanui ana i te reo Māori, rā mai, rā atu. Here is a small looksy into Education New Zealand Manapou ki te Ao celebrations of " 2023 Te wiki o te reo Māori. Whiua ki te ao e hika mā!

Ed

To improve my use of te reo Māori in everyday settings, in my workplace I greet everyone with "kia ora" or "morena" in the mornings. I try to say my goodbyes/farewells in reo also.

Linda

Language and culture go hand in hand. I want to learn Te Reo to learn more about Māori culture, to help keep the language and culture alive, and to acknowledge the wrongs of colonialism.

Felicity
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A wero, a challenge out to all Kaiako, students at Scots College to talk about your Māori language journey and aspiring moments to speak Te Reo and use tikanga māori in our everday lives, Kara whiua e hāpori o Kōtarani! !

Emerson

"Ma te kotahitanga e whai kaha ai tātau". "In unity we have strength".

Teresa

As an EC kaiako I believe it is my mahi to ako the language and culture with my ngā tamariki.

Tegan

In 1985 after being privileged to be part of te ao Maori in 1973, I became a citizen of Aotearoa and took my Official Oath in te reo Maori. Partly to honour the beautiful kaumatua who had mentored me and because I was and still am passionate to be part of the revival and saving of te reo rangatira. Language is who you are; it is a living link between you and your tupuna and if you can encourage your tamariki it will be your link to their future too. Kia Kaha te reo! This year I will be with the kaumatua kuia o Waipareira and we will be doing a whole range of things for 2023 Maori Moment. Karakia, Korero, Waiata, Whakatauki. And, of course we will share kai. :-)

Lynda

I grew up in a bilingual environment, speaking English and Irish/Gaelic. I understand how a language connects you to your home, your people and your culture. This is why I support te reo Māori

Brendan

The language is so poetic, I just love it. I always wanted to learn but access was not readily available until the last 4-5 years. Love learning and understanding the place names in New Zealand.

Helen

Tikanga Māori reflects good value and I believe that we can learn a lot from Māori People: respecting and caring for the Whenua and Te hanga a te Atua (God's Creation)

Nikki

Ensuring our mokopuna and generations beyond are first-language speakers of te reo Maori

Carole

I'm taking part because it's a beautiful language and it's part of who we are, as a country. Let's celebrate that! "Ehara toa i te toa takitahi, engari, he toa takitini" – My success (or my strength) is not that of a single person but instead the strength of many.

Paulette

Kia Ora Maori Family

Terei Junior

E iti noa ana nā te aroha

Remya

I am doing the Te Reo course and so my commitment is ako (learn) which I need to keep doing so I can engage in more korero (speak) with confidence

Rhianon

I want to be able to contribute to the celebration of Te Wiki o Te Reo and Te Ao Māori along with many of my colleagues.

Yvonne

I love learning about traditional Māori knowledge, history and wisdom through the joyful medium of waiata :)

Kate

I am truly blessed and humbled to continue my journey to embrace the reo and have the confidence to use it in everyday situations. I am Māori and I am unique to Aotearoa. True Story!

Sheena

Ko Hokianga toku moana Ko Tauhara toku maunga Ko Ngati tuwharetoa toku iwi Ko Tainui toku Waka Ko Taniora ahau Tihei mauri ora! My vision is this, to bring unity and harmony to all . I truly feel that Te Ao Maori is the key 🔑 to life. Once I am fluent I will be an indomitable force and I will have my mana back . We are here to show the people of the world their story that lives on through us for we our maori people made the journey for them. Let's show them how awesome we are and remind them how amazing their knowledge wairua culture aroha can be.

Taniora

Ia wiki ia wiki kai te kōrero au ki tāhaku whānau. I dream of a time where we all use te reo in our everyday communication in our sport, community and cafe. I roto i te wā tuku reo kai te kōrero au ki āku hoa mahi.

Sheena

Taking back my reo for me and my whanau. Giving me the confidence to korero kore whakama.

Jena

I teach in a bilingual akomanga and I am excited to be on a journey of learning Te Reo with our tauira.

Keri

I want to continue my reo journey for my tūpuna and our future generations. Māuri ora! 🤙🏻

Az Maraea

Te reo Māori is a beautifully rhythmic language that takes you on a journey of feelings with every kupu. Why wouldn't you want to learn, share and grow te reo Māori in your workplace, home, and your community. Kia kaha te reo Māori!

Michelle
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My why is to support the use of Te Reo maori me ona Tikanga in our day to day work lives

Ua

Mō kā uri ā muri ake nei

Carrie

Tēnā kotou katoa Ko Angela Shailer tōku ingoa. I whānau mai ahau i Waihōpai, kei te noho au ki Te Papaioea I have always loved listening to speakers of te reo and have always wanted to learn more than we were taught in primary school. Last year I took my first te reo course, learning more about the language and culture. I am lucky enough to have friends and work colleagues, who are fluent speakers, to help me practice and become more confident using te reo in everyday life.

Angela

I have a strong connection to Māori culture. A big part of this was my schooling through the 80s and 90s in Taranaki. Regular waiata at school assemblies, te reo classes, school haka training and Maori art. I loved and respected it and didn’t realize how lucky I was at the time to have the experience and support from the Waitara community. Doing our OE separated me from connecting with it and now we are back in Aotearoa and bringing up young kids, we celebrate Māori by doing karakia Kai every night, te reo card games in the rainy weekends, matariki and waiata on the radio. My why is to create the connection of Maori culture for our kids. It’s in their identity.

Daniel