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'

Born from a British emigrant and my fathers questionable history I have never felt truly settled in my role as Pakeha. But by using te Reo in everyday life I am more comfortable in this role

Allicia

I want to take part in this moment because I'm really enjoying my te Reo Maori class at WITT in Taranaki. Taking part at 12 today will be a good way of showing my enthusiasm for learning as much as I can about Maori language & culture. It's part of being a New Zealander.

Alison

As companionship with this kōrero from afar; from the attempts to revive Scots Gaelic and in solidarity with speakers worldwide especially those violently displaced from their Speaking communities as refugees.

Alison

Language is such a massive part of Maori culture and who we are as New Zealander's. I want to learn Maori because it's a beautiful language. But I also feel we have a collective responsibility to help this language flourish. Learning more of the language will aid my understanding of Mātauranga and, in doing so, allow me to better carry out my role at work. Taking part in this activity gives me the extra incentive I need to follow through on my goals.

Alison

I came to Aotearoa from England when I was a young adult, and have loved making my home and raising my family here. I feel I belong in Aotearoa, and I believe that our bi-cultural heritage is part of what makes Aotearoa such a special place. My growing understanding of Mātauranga Māori enriches everything I do.

Alie

Te reo Māori is a beautiful, living, language that is unique to Aotearoa. It connects us to our place here and each other.

Alicia

As teachers we interweave Te Reo in our teaching practice and encourage the children to learn. We feel that this is important because we live in NZ and need to keep the culture alive.

Alicia

Because te reo is rich, metaphorical, beautiful and can teach us so much about the world. The more we use it, the bigger it's reach!

Alicia

Keen to encourage anything that brings attention to Te Reo.

Ali

For my myself and my children

Alfie

For me it's knowing that when my Mum went to school her classmates were beaten in the classrooms and playground if they were heard speaking Te Reo Māori. Knowing that whole generations grew up silenced, and the children of those generations lived in the shadow of fear and a feeling of inferiority fills me with such terrible sadness and shame. We are all in this canoe together, NZ 2020, we rise through adversity, we pull together, we celebrate each others strengths, we support and lift each other when we stumble or tire. It's time now to allow everyone to have a voice. I'm taking the first steps to learn and speak a language to open a doorway to understanding and appreciation. I'm grateful to have a choice to learn Te Reo Māori which is a treasured gift and not just language it's an art form, a celebration of life. The discomfort I feel stumbling over my first words of Te Reo will never be as painful as the beatings those children received and the emotional scars they wore. Every journey starts with one word, then two. . . . . . we can do this New Zealand. What's stopping us being 1 in 5 million?

Alex

I am Maori and I want to continue learning. I work for a Government Department that has relationships with hapu and iwi. I want to lead by example for my team.

Alex

Important because I know that my reo needs a lot of work and I need to improve my vocab to a point where at least I am able to have conversations i te reo maori

Alex

It's part of a country and we live in a place where we can embrace and enjoy our awesome, unique culture!

Alejandro

To be part of the revitalisation of Te ao Māori Through korero, mātauranga and wairua.

Aleena

As a teacher, I am also a learner. I am learning alongside my students. I believe it is important that children in this country are learning te reo and understand the importance. I am passionate about seeing the next generation have a deeper understanding of the importance of speaking te reo and using it freely.

Alarna

I want to be part of showing pride and love for the unique language of our country.

Alana

As a registered teacher I think it's important children have the option to learn about the native language of nz and to help keep the language around for years to come

alana

Learning and contributing

Alan

For my children who are maori

Aimee

It is simply respectful to acknowledge Te Reo Maori

adith

Proud to be Maori.

Adele

It's important for me to take part so that I can inspire more people to speak te reo and revitalize the Māori language, as well as having the chance to be one in a million either starting out or going forth in their te reo journey.

Adam

I think it's important for me as an immigrant, especially from the UK, to learn more about the heritage of this land. I think it is important to understand and know the language of Aotearoa.

Abii

Being both a pākehā and an American living in Aotearoa I think it’s so so important to learn from and respect the tangata whenua. The Māori people have so much wisdom to offer in so many ways, from the way they see the world, to the importance of whakapapa and whānau etc. And there is such a beauty in the culture and language that deserves to be preserved and shared.

Abigail

He taonga te reo Māori. He rawe rawa atu ki au ki te tautoko tēnei kaupapa.

Abby

Connection to the whenua my tupuna lived.

Abby

As respect to te tangata whenua.

Abbie

This language is very beautiful to hear and fun to learn

Aaron

For me taking part in this is very important as it identifies who I am as Maori as well as my whakapapa.

Aaron

It is important to take part so we can keep our native language alive and help boost the culture throughout the community.

Aaliyah

It’s important for me as a tangata whenua because it is a chance to revitalise my own language and to be able to pass it on to future generations.

Aaliyah

Ko te reo Māori te tāhuhu o te whare kōrero Māori. Mei kore ake tō tātou reo, kua kore e whai wāhi tō tino rangatiratanga waihoki tō tātou nei mana motuhake. Ngā rūruhi, ngā koroheke i whakapau i ō rātou kaha ki te whakarauora i te reo, mō rātou te take kei te kōrerotia tātou katoa te reo Māori. Kei taku rau aroha, e kore rawa e taka te manawa popore kei roto i ahau. Ka noho tonu koe i ngā rangi o te takitini mō te ake ake. The blog post slug for this story is: wiremu_-_hamilton

Wiremu

People have spent their lives for what I have. Its my duty to continue

Whatanui

E pirangi ana ahau, kia mohio aku tamariki i te reo Māori.

Wendy

Te Reo is our country’s heritage and point of difference. It’s what makes us unique.

Wayne

I want to take part in anything to help revive our culture. Unfortunately my tupuna were forced to unlearn Te reo and had to even change their names. I would like to do this for them. I would also like to do this for the fruit that will come from me and the generations after me to be strong in their identity as a Maori.

Waiora

Since connecting with my birth mother who is Maori and Ngapuhi, I have always wanted to learn and speak Te Reo Maori. Being shy and awkward and not having the courage to do so previously, I thought 2020 will be a year changer for me to dive in and give it a go! I’d love to be able to converse with her when we meet and greet one another.

Wai

Because te reo should be my first language & is one of our recognized here, It would have been an advantage being raised bilingual unfortunately that was not the case. Mum & Dad both beautiful fluent speakers despite their reasons for not teaching us te reo, love them both dearly 💞 Anyway we are old enough now to get out and learn ourselves which is what a couple of te whanau have done. Keep our Reo alive and active👍

Victoria & Bill (Daughter & father)

To enhance the mana of te reo, and honour the continuing revitalisation of this taonga

Victoria

As a New Zealander and Pākeka, I want to follow our commitments under Te Tiriti and support tangata whenua. Māori should be able to speak te reo anywhere and everywhere--and I don't want to be (literally) dumb when they do! :)

Vicki

I am from the UK and would like to know and understand more of the Maori culture and history. Laungage is a massive part of this as NZ has 2 languages.

Vicki

Coz I'm Maori

Vialetta

I te mea ka haere raua tahi te mauri o te reo Maori me te mauri o nga kawa, nga tikanga e taea ana te arahi i nga ahuatanga torangapu o Aotearoa. No tenei whenua!

Veronica

you see the Maori language used more and more - at work a lot of the new products have a Maori name and I would like to say them correctly.

vanessa

It is a beautiful language and part of what makes NZ unique. As a teacher, it is my responsibility to introduce and share the language with my children.

Vanessa

Because this is our culture

Tui

Me piki ake te ora a tō tatou nei reo rangatira.

Tui

Its about honouring our tipuna and their fight for the preservation of our reo .

Tui

An old proverb from my birthland says wherever you place your feet, there the sky above you to stare, to respect. That means we need to learn and respect any values around us the place we live in. And languages are parts of the representation of our social - cultural - spiritual life. I love languages. I want to learn and respect more about Maori through languages . . . because I am here.

Triyoga

We are committed to culturally responsive pedagogy at our kura. We want to build the reo of our tamariki through deliberate teaching, waiata, kapa haka etc.

Tracey

It’s important for me to be able to connect through language with other people. It’s respectful and a way to embrace a beautiful language and culture.

Tracey

It's so special to know our language

Toni

to me, Te Reo is part of being a New Zealander. I am Pakeha but I believe I honour the people of the land by speaking Te Reo.

Toni

So i can learn my Te Reo Maori better

Tomai Ariki

It's important for me to honour and show my deep respect to our country's ancestors, and make up for the lack of respect in the past. And I'd love to get better at te reo, especially my pronunciation, which Maori Language Week always helps me improve.

Tina

I’ve just started my journey of learning my reo, I’m hungry to learn more and pass the hunger on to my whanau.

Tim

So I can learn for my tamariki

Tess

"KO IA RA HE TAONGA, KO IA RA HE RANGATIRA, KO TATOU TERA"

Temairiki

I am learning te reo Māori in order to become fluent enough to have everyday conversations and to find employment in the Māori sector.

Teina

E arohanui ana ahau ki tō tātou roe Māori!

Te-Arani

I love our beautiful language. I am so proud to be maori. I want my children to be able to understand and speak it as well. I jus need more encouragement to speak it more round the house and/or in public.

Te-Ao-Rangi

Pai rākau, pai hua

Te Okahurangi

He raukura au no Te Aho Matua.

Te Hiraka

Because Te reo māori is part of my identity it has impacted who i am today and the more people who get involved the longer it will live within Aotearoa and te ao whānui

Te Ao Marama

Its important that i part take in this to join others in keeping and empowering our culture

Taysha

It is important for me to take part so that my baby can grow up learning te reo māori and for my future generations.

Tatiana

Our Taonga. Our Tuakiritanga. Our Whakapapa.

Tatiana

Connecting to roots of new zealand

Tanji

It is who I am!

Tania-Jane

Because I want to see my country evolve and grow towards a much stronger bicultural Whānau of 5 million

Tania

I am proud to be Maori and to be able to speak some Te Reo Maori

Tania

Spent a lot of time wishing I could speak te reo. Now I realise it's always been up to me and I just need to start taking action. I've enrolled in my first steps for te reo next year. Until then il make an effort to learn something new everyday. Mauriora!

Tamara

Was never aloud to speak te reo back when I was young. So it's never to late now ageing 52.

Sydney James

Te Reo is important for the health of our country.

Susan

because it is a part of the story of New Zealand

Steven

I have recently learnt more about New Zealand history and I don't want to see te reo Māori become extinct.

Stephanie

Ko te reo te mauri, o te mana māori

Stephanie

Not only can I brag about being one in a million but It’s also to plant the seed of Te Ao Māori through Te Reo! We are part of the revitalisation of our culture

Stacey

Ko taku mokopuna

Sonia

I love learning Te Reo Māori

Siobhan

To bring back maori traditions aswell as language

Sinnead

Language is culture and we are bi cultural so we are missing out on one culture of Aotearoa by ignoring the language

simon

Kia whakaora ai te reo

Simon

Te Reo Maori is one of our official languages, and I would like to be able to use more phrases beside greetings and the occasional word to do it justice and to connect more deeply with my chosen country of residence.

Siiri

Kia kaha te reo Māori. Ma whero ma pango ka oti ai te mahi, I believe that if everyone does there part, the language will survive. I want to change peoples perspectives on the language and introduce them and educate them on the culture and our beautiful poetic language. I feel that people feel that they have to be brown or Māori to speak te reo but, I want them to know that it is not true. As a white Māori myself, it has been a real struggle feeling accepted rather than thinking I don't belong because of my appearance or lack of a cultural upbringing due to colonisation.

Sidonie

I need to learn and understand New Zealands indigenous language, and stories so I can help myself and whanau to be present in such times of change. When I grew up we werent encouraged to learn Maori and teachers actively avoided and discouraged its use, it wasnt and still isnt acceptable.

Shona

Te reo Māori is a national language, it is a taonga and should be both learnt and used so as not to be lost.

Shirralee

Maori is part of my culture and I feel more a part of it when I can communicate in te reo. . be it even a few small kupu.

Shirley

To keep our native tongue alive. And to set an example for my kids. To be fluent in our home to korero maori by 2030.

Sherri

To show it’s never too late to learn Maori and use Maori language in every day life

Shaun

The importance of identity.

Sharon

Because to kōrero Maori is to respect our tangata whenua, Goes a little way toward actively upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi and helps me raise my children to become beautiful adults.

Sharleen

I’m a wahine Māori and I’ve got a pepi and it’s important that we find our turangawaewae in these times, given that indigenous knowledge and practices are crucial to helping combat climate catastrophe

Savannah

For my four tamariki

Savanah

Te Reo is our native language and an important part of who we are as a nation. I also want to encourage my children who are Maori to learn and speak te reo

Sarah

Currently I'm enrolled with Te Wānanga o Raukawa learning more of the reo. I'm at a point now where I'm overwhelmed with all the reo I'm using daily so I need to build my confidence and join more of these things so I can confidently speak.

Sarah

We feel as a preschool and part of a larger community that it is important that we celebrate the Maori culture. This is a wonderful way to celebrate with all of New Zealand.

Sarah

I want to bring the maori culture alive in an area where it has become silent.

Sarah

To teach my children so they can be confident when speaking it.

Saphine