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'

Because Maaori reo is a taonga. My people have done too much damage to the people and land of Aotearoa, learning the reo helps gulf the gap.

My mother was of the generation where they were punished for speaking te reo māori in the playgrounds. She spoke so eloquently in te reo it was beautiful to listen to korero i nga wa katoa to her brother and sisters. They were great orators. She vowed that our reo will never be lost. I am learning my reo and will continue this kaupapa for my whānau for the future of whakapapa and we are gifted to have such a beautiful language that is forever evolving, Tihei Mauri Ora!

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Our class has been proudly learning how to sing E Minaka Ana and discussing the importance of the lyrics. Let us be staunch in speaking Maori! I desire that my talk be like that of a leader, my noble language my precious inheritance. Astound me with your maturity by the evanescence, the spirit you show when speaking Maori. Let us be staunch in speaking Maori!

E mihi ana ki ngā taonga o Aotearoa e noho nei au.

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I graduated Toi Toi Māori Leadership 2022 and I am striving to uplift Te Reo and the beautiful world of Te Ao Maori within Kiwirail Ōtautahi.

Growing up in the South Island in the eighties I received no education or exposure to te reo. I love the resurgence and want to be part of it.

We are the only country that speaks te reo. If as a country we learn te reo I believe it will go a long way to healing the trauma of the pass and understanding it for a better future for the people of Aotearoa. I believe what’s good for Māori is good for everyone but not the other way around.

I would like to learn more waiata

We will help whaanau to access Māori language resources wherever possible

My whānau, my kāinga, my hapū, my future tamariki and te ao o te mate are all my WHY. The moment I lost my grandma I knew I had to learn te reo Māori to keep our connection strong. Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori.

I want to continue the learning journey of this beautiful language!

My wero for myself is to be able to tick that I can speak te reo Māori conversationally on the next census. Ko kaiako au so I want to model that I value our language and partnership. I want to teach my akonga to value and speak it too. Ko mama au so I want my tamariki to learn and value our language and te ao māori. Kia kaha te reo māori.

Te reo is a beautiful language and I enjoy singing and speaking it

I love doing my volunteer pest control for te ngahere o Ōtanewainuku. I always, karawhiua & give it a go & welcome anyone to THAT place in Te Reo Māori. My other MAIN WHY; At a pōwhiri, I want to know WHEN to laugh when others laugh, cry when others cry, clap when others clap. I miss soooo much, Kāore au i te mārama i te reo Māori. Me ako tonu, haere tonu, ia rā ia rā… Ka ora te reo Māori, Ka ora te tāngata

For my girls to be proud of their tipuna

To learn the reo for my boys who are Māori and to walk beside them as they embrace their whakapapa.

Learn more of the reo that is native to Aotearoa.

He nèhi ahau. He mama ahau. And I want to give my patients and tamariki the gift of the reo.

Te Reo Māori is fun!

I want to feel confident in speaking te reo!

For me and my future generations to come

Kapa haka has given me an extended whanau ever since I was a new child immigrant from Africa. There was warmth, kindness, laughs, strength, values I shared, language and music. Amazing enrichment to my life.

Tena koutou I timata taku haerenga mo to au me aku tamariki. About five years ago I was sitting at home and wondering why don’t I know my language. A lot of thoughts and emotions ran through my head as I reflected back on my childhood. My father is Māori and my mother is Pākehā and I grew up with my mother so I never had any opportunity to embrace my Māori side which made me feel very pouri. So as a 29 year old single mum looking at my tamariki I knew I had to start that journey and out of everything I have achieved I have never been more proud of myself than the journey I had taken to learn the language of my tipuna. I started with my level 1 and this year I have completed my level 5 diploma in te reo Māori! I do this for my children so they don’t have to be in the same position as me when they are older. Now I work in schools and share my knowledge with teachers and students and when I am not in school I travel round with a team and teach kapahaka with my inner and outer community around Southland and otago, not only that, but with my skills these schools now have the opportunity to employ someone to help teach the language to the up and coming children of today, ka mau te wehi! . Kia kaha Aotearoa kia Maia, kia manawanui. Ka taea e tatou. Ngā mihi nui, Nā Ashlee.

I think it is important to acknowledge the Māori language and to be able to pronounce the words properly.

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.

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

Ko Laurence toku ingoa. No Tutaenui ahau i Rangitikei.

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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

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

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

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.

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

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. . . .

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Mauri Ora ki te Mana Maori x

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.

To honor my Tupuna and create a legacy for my children

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

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

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

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

Help the next generation coming through learn te reo Maori

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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!

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! ! !

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ko te mutunga oranga, he timatatanga kaha

To honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi

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.

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.

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

To use Te Reo Māori everyday especially in the workplace.

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

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

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.

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

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

We will gather together as one and sing!

Keep the Reo alive ! Kia Kaha Korokoro

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!

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

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!

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

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!

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.

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.

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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! !