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'

Te Reo is a special part of who we are in Aoteroa we need to celebrate and join together as one more so this year than any other - togetherness is so important right now

Claire

Te Reo is the first language of this land. I love the natural sounds of this land - streams burbling, pukekiwiriki twittering; ocean waves and gulls squawking and I imagine the sounds of te reo arriving and becoming part of the land too. Creating words for the birds that merged and blended with their sounds or habits and words for places that described events. My siblings and I did that as children for the places we played. My dad did it for the farm paddocks. My children did it. My grandchildren do it.

Claire

Many years ago I went to night school to learn te reo. I remember very little. One place I work quite a bit of te reo is spoken. I have opportunity and encoyragement to learn. I try. I realky struggle. I want to learn because it is a beautiful language. I also feel concerned that I wilk get left behind and not understand the communications around me

Christine

I want to be able to communicate with others in te reo to help create a better, more united NZ.

Christine

I want to finally learn more about te ao Māori and Te Reo and share as much as I can to keep this beautiful taonga alive.

Christine

Maori culture makes us unique in the world. It should be cherished and upheld and flourish. It is for all of us and helps make us as NZers. It is respectful of our first guardians of this land if we all take part in upholding the language, culture and tikanga.

Christine

Have an appreciation as I'm getting older, and wiser.

Christina

I see it as the perfect encouragement to more actively participate in the use of te reo Māori in my daily life. One moment leading to many others.

Christina

Im an early childhood teacher and as a partner of Tiriti o Watangi it is my obligation to uphold The principles of the treaty, as well as to work towards bicultural curriculum aspirations. I also love the Te Ao Maori and want to continue to embrace it through reo.

Christina

Its part of my culture and identity. I want to know more and be fluent or understand more.

Christina

Hei oranga tonu mō tēnei reo rangatira. Hei taonga tuku iho hoki mō aku tamariki.

Christiana

I've been in this wonderful country as a guest for 30 years before becoming a citizen last year. I feel I have been a lesser person for not knowing Te Reo Maori and the culture of the Maori people. That is about to change!

Chris

Te reo Māori has been sidelined and suppressed for far too long and as a Pākeha I have to take responsibility for this. It is overdue time to act positively and to try to normalise te reo Māori in my workplace.

Chris

My friend is maori and he’s very proud of it. I’ll speak maori for him!

Chris

Reconnecting with Aotearoa after long stretches abroad

Chris

I believe by learning te re maori it is carryong a taonga that is a living thing. it is important as a Pakeha to honour this treasure.

chris

I am passionate about our culture and the revitalisation of our reo. I wish to teach Te reo māori in a few years time once I complete my major in Te reo māori and my diploma in teaching :)

Chozen

Te reo Maori is a beautiful language and New Zealand should be a bi-lingual nation naturally. I would love to hear & see the language used everyday.

Chloe

ki te ākina te reo!

Chloe

We speak as much reo Māori as we can in our kāinga, our tamariki go to an immersion preschool and it's important for me to be able to keep up with their level of learning. Te ao Māori is a huge part of our identity, both personally and nationally.

Chloé

Becuse Te Ao Māori central to life in Aotearoa always - not just for an hour once a year.

Chloe

Language is the waka of culture. No te reo no Maori.

Rosa

To remind myself that being pākēha means honouring Te Tiriti, celebrating Te Reo and actively being anti-racist. He waka eke noa.

Cheryl

It is a beautiful language and I try to use Maori words that I know. it instills a sense of pride in myself that I try. it makes me feel respectful.

Cheryl

Celebrate Te Reo Maori Promote everyday use

Cheryl

As a Christian school, we believe that there is power in unity when we come together in praise / worship. The lyrics of 'Wairua Tapu' welcome the Holy Spirit and we strongly believe in the guidance of and partnership with the Holy Spirit, so knew this would be a perfect opportunity to sing together.

Chermayne

This is my culture and it is now my time to embrace and learn it.

Cherie

If New Zealand had abided by the principles of the Titiri o Waitangi we would be a bilingual nation. Our school is working towards becoming an 'English Medium bilingual school' - where students can converse in English and Maori fluently. We need to support Maori to take back the ground lost with anti-Maori language laws, that saw generations lose Te Reo. This initiative lifts the visibility of Te Reo and highlights the mahi we need to do, to develop Te Reo as a national, treasured taonga.

Cherie

Valuing and respecting our first language

Cherida

To teach myself and my students more about the native language of NZ!

Chelsea

It important for me to be involved because I wish to be more connected to my culture and language so in the future I can teach my son about who he is and where he comes from. I also hope to audition to perform with a roopu at Te Matatini but I’m afraid of judgements that I’m not fluent in Te Reo.

Chatia

It's important to me that my baby learns to live in balance with both worlds. I was disconnected to Te Ao Maori growing up and I try my best to revive that lost connection.

Nelly

To motivate me to carry on with my haerenga to fluency in te reo Māori.

Charmaine

Connect to our culture and to help allowing my kids to connect and identify to theirs.

Charmaine

Kei te haere ahau i te haerenga kite ako i te reo Māori

Charlie

My reason is a bit selfish but my up bringing was more of the pakeha way with my mother a fluent speaker but not allowed to speak te reo māori at school or home. So she told me that speaking te reo māori will never get me a job and that is why she never passed it down. Now I see and hear so many wanting to learn my given right of my reo and I need to learn and make sure that I have earned that right to learn and to let my mother know that “it is ok to kōrero māori at school! at home! Any where we want” Mauri ora

Whaea Char

my son in learning the reo an i want nothing more then to be there along his journey, it's beautiful that even though i don't know alot my aroha for the reo has grown so much.

Charlee

He tino kaupapa hohonu tēnei ki au. Ki te whakapiki I tō tātou reo rangatira kia whakamāoritia tō tātou reo hoki.

Chardonei

Language is taonga. I am enjoying learning more te reo and the way meaning is built up in the sounds.

Chantal

I was inspired by how embracing and inclusive of nature the Maori culture is, I wanted to get deeper into how that is integrated with their language and starting taking some te reo Maori courses last year - found the language simply beautiful,

Celia

It's apart of our history, a culture that should be kept alive and beautiful way to stay in touch with the people who saw value in every part of Aotearoa. We should embrace Maori culture and learn from it.

Because my father came here from Rarotonga and was not allowed to speak his own language. Therefore my brother and I missed out and are both trying to learn te reo in lieu of having our own reo.

Tarsh

Each year I grow in my te reo, tikanga and keen interest in Maori world view. I work from home and often in Australia so it is difficult to be in learning groups. On line helps. Nga mihi nui

Cathy

I'm a NZ'er. Maori culture and Te Reo is important to me.

Cathy

I am half Maori half pakeha but I identify more with my Maori Side.

Cathy

Maori reo and tikanga is very much part of our NZ culture in which we need to make sure to keep this taonga very much alive. Maori Spirituality plays a big part in the Tapu and Mana of all tangata/people of Aotearoa especially through a Catholic perspective.

Catherine

Māori is the key language in NZ and as a teacher I think it’s vital that we not only celebrate in schools, but teach it.

Catherine

It is an opportunity to be a part of something meaningful and special :-)

Cath

If not here then where? If not now then when? Ko te reo TE reo ātaahua o tēnei whenua - whakanuia!

Casey
Casey

It's necessary.

Carrie

I love Te Reo and that it is our indigenous language I have learnt basic Te Reo and it is a beautiful language

Carolyn

Just agree that we need to know more and use te reo more

Carolyn

I want to be part of making it normal to kōrero Māori. My whakapapa includes Te Atiawa & Ngai Tahu but I grew up with no contact with a marae. Now my daughter & daughter-in-law are learning & all my tamariki want our mokopuna to grow up with the taonga of te reo

Caroline
Caroline
Caroline

I want to learn more and teach my own tamariki

Caroline

Te two Māori is the language we turn to whenever we need comfort and strength. It is ours and we need to keep speaking it.

Caroline
Caroline

As a start I really want to understand the meaning of place names of our country and to be able to say these names correctly and respectfully. I'd love to be able to have conversations in Maori and in the process gain more understanding of a Maori worldview that might help me to feel more comfortable in Maori settings rather than shy away.

Caroline

Te Reo Māori is Aotearoa's language, we should all embrace and celebrate it The blog post slug for this story is: carole_-_auckland

Carole

He taonga te reo. I want to tautoko the slow journey to make it widespread in Aotearoa.

Carol

It's the first human language of our country and sits alongside the many languages of our native animals.

Carol

To know the language is to know the culture.

Carol

To inspire our younger generations 💚💛💙 The blog post slug for this story is: carol_-_gisborne

Carol

To help promote equity in Aotearoa

Carol

Te Reo is very Important and we need to make sure the culture, heritage, and language endures. It is part of us, and we have to fight to keep it that way. .

Carol

I’m learning te reo!

Carmel

I'd love to learn more as im new to this beautiful country

Carla

It's important to honour the treaty by everyone in NZ embracing the Reo and culture that makes us NZ.

Carla

Because its apart of my culture

Cara

It is important to me because I am māori and an Ece teacher, I want to help keep it alive ! X

Cara

Being a part of the campus

Canary

For the future of my identity and also my tamariki

Camryn

To celebrate Te Reo Maori with my students

camilla

To share in Maori culture better with my little brother

Cameron

I love to connect with my maoridom

Cameron

The language was robbed from Maori for many years, collectively as a country it is our duty to make way for it to thrive again.

Callie

Kia kaha.

Caleb

It's important to respect our native language (Caleb, 9 years).

Caleb

It is important for myself to take part as I am studying to be a Primary Teacher and the Māori language needs more recognition in society today. I am doing my part in starting by learning more Te Reo Māori

Caitlyn

I have always had a passion for learning more about Te Reo Maori and sharing this knowledge as a teacher. I think it is so important in New Zealand to teach our tamariki about our indigenous culture. It is so easy to integrate into all areas of the curriculum and I have seen first hand how this engages and excites Maori students in education as we are embracing them and their knowledge.

Caitlin

Expansion of our culture,

Brya

Our Maori language is so very important to all New Zealanders, and should be made easily available to us all - starting with early learning at Kura. A strong powerful language that links us all so strongly to our future here in Aotearoa.

Bruce

I am a descendant of Māori yet have no links to a culture that is inherently mine. My nana grew up thinking that it was shameful to be Māori and never told people that she was (she was light skinned) and never wanted to learn. She died still feeling this way. For me it is important to learn not only te Reo but to restore my anscestors mana and also teach my children.

Brooke

Kia rongo te ao e ora ana tō tātou reo. Kia noho te reo māori hei reo matua o tenei tōna ake whenua

Bronwyn

To learn more about language and culture

Bron

I would love to speak Te reo Maori as another language & keep it alive.

Brigitte

Strengthen the māori language in New Zealand!

Brie

Being a NZ born Cook Islander - I had studied Te Reo since college and a couple of years at university. When you don’t have the platform to kōrero Māori ia rā ia rā, it’s hard to keep your Te Reo up! So, I try to text in Te Reo to my Māori speaking mates, use phrases in emails, listen to our Whānau during our Zui (zoom/hui), just trying my best to keep my own Te Reo up when I can!

Bridget

- to use what we've learned with in te reo lessons - to promote te reo and highlight resources and opportunities to engage further with the native language of Aotearoa as active Treaty partners

Bridget

because of my daughter she is the future and I want her to be immersed in te reo. Also te ao maori reminds me of my kuia who is now in the heavens

Bridget Maria

I want to support speaking Maori as a normal part of being a Kiwi.

Bridget

To keep te reo alive and THRIVING

Briana

because my kids are māori

Brian

I believe we need to preserve and promote this essential part of our heritage

Brian

Because I am Maori from Ngai Tuhoe and Te Whanau a Apanui and wish to learn more Te Reo Maori.

Brendon

Live the mahi

Brendan

Because I need to, I have been too afraid to use my own reo, and it has almost flown away. I cant let that happen.

Brenda

To support our Te Reo Maori throughout the rohe

Brenda