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'

As part of my teaching journey I have developed a passion for the language (Te Reo Māori), I feel I have gained a lot of knowledge around the culuture and the language itself. I am on a mission to keep developing my use of te reo in the classroom as well as a personally developed my use of the language. Any extra oppurtunities I can engage in, I feel is beneficial for me to be able to do this and meet my goal.

I’ve always loved reo Māori. I always wanted to be part of the kapa haka group at school, and have long wanted to learn more of the language. But, growing up as a pakeha in a very pakeha community, I felt ‘unqualified’ and “too white” to participate and learn. As I’ve gotten older, I see that’s not true; I’m a proud kiwi and this is the language of our land. I have so much respect and admiration for te reo and Māori culture, and also grief for the trauma of colonialism on tangata whenua. . my response now is to learn, enjoy & use te reo in my home and community.

I am New Zealander. I Think I should speak more of the other official language and pronounce words correctly

Jennifer

As Kaiako in Aotearoa, teaching very young tamariki, I feel it is my obligation and indeed my passion to value, celebrate and bring to the forefront the beauty of te Ao Māori. I will be stepping into the waka, by beginning my own journey in October, when I will complete my level one kōrero Māori. Thank you for the opportunity

Caro

Ko au Te Reo, Ko Te Reo ko au

Maria

For our tupuna.

Because I should and I have mokos now who're learning about their whakapapa and identity of who they are and where they come from.

i am 68 yrs old my brother who fluent in te reo wants me to learn and its also my wish please

Its important to me and the mahi I do.

I'm a teacher in a class that's trying to become bilingual. I see my kids faces SHINE when their language, their culture and their identity is cherished.

Vashti

Keeping the culture to the forefront where it should be, im with the Mana Ariki cultural society in Taumaranui. . . . founded by Sir Alexander Phillips . . . its my duty

Mark

Because I love te reo Māori and want to help normalise its use. There's so much that can be gained from learning te reo: knowledge, understanding, connection, appreciation of culture, friendships and fun! !

Learning and using te reo Maori helps me connect with the tangata whenua and the wairua of the land of Aotearoa, which in turn also helps me connect with my own tangata whenua and whakapapa of the Philippines. It also brings me a great sense of turangawaewae and whakawhanaungatanga.

Rosario

I am intrigued by the beauty of the Maori langauge and would love to learn it. It is important for me, if I have chosen to make NZ the country of my residence to learn its native language.

Pay homage to my language finally (having spent years overseas and learning other reo now home - ka noho au). Time to immerse fully (language first and everything in between) - mauriora!

Grace

Te reo is unique, awesome and our national language. We've all got to make any effort to learn this reo ātaahua.

I love contributing when I can in activities during Te Wiki o te reo maori, and always look forward to that time. This is a way that i can participate throughout the year, not just for this 'moment' or waiting for the week to come around. I may not speak the language, but hopefully I can change that soon.

Del

I just think it’s an awesome kaupapa and I’m happy to support and be apart of it 👍🏽

Tuiata

Te Reo Maori is a part of every kiwi, whether they know it or not, and whether they like it or not. I've been overseas a few times, and each time I've missed hearing Te Reo Maori, and when I come home, I almost cry when I hear the Reo and the sound of the karanga - even though I'm pakeha, I am totally connected to it - it's part of my being.

Kia oraWe are immigrants to this amazing country and we came partly because of the Māori culture. We want to be a part of keeping this beautiful language alive. We also want our daughter to learn the language of her country. We want her to speak it fluently and to help to encourage others to speak is as her other first language, not a less important second language. Te reo Māori should be spoken by everyone as naturally as speaking English! ! ! And we all need to honour and respect the language enough to pronounce it all properly. This is something our family is working on, every day.

Maori are tangawhenua, it is critical that all people who call Aotearoa home know how to koro mai Maori. As teachers we must play our part in ensuring this happens, there is only one outcome and that us as teachers are responsible to make this happen.

lynette

I was told it only takes a generation to lose a language and at least three to bring it back. I want to get the ball rolling for my whānau so we can be proud reo Māori speakers again

Jordan

For our tupuna who lost their whenua, and their reo, seeds scattered in the wind, engari "E kore au e ngaro, he kakano i ruia mai i Rangiātea".

Fleur

My why is that first and foremost I am a Pakeha whose family have lived in Aotearoa for several generations, and as such I try to live my life in a way that upholds the principles and obligations of Te Tiriti. Secondly, I’m currently training to be a primary teacher meaning I have a unique opportunity to pass on the taonga of reo and tikanga to our tamariki. I’m doing my best and progress is slow, but the mahi is worth it. Reo is a part of our cultural identity and I strongly support its normalisation and revival. Kia kaha with the great work your organisation is doing :)

Jacob

Maori is our first language and we should celebrate it, use it and grow it!

Karen

My children i was adopted when i was born, raised pakeha, but home now for my reo for my babies and wahine and my people

Miriama

Te reo Maori is our unique reo! I am learning by night class and it is a challenge to find the times, places and people to speak to in te reo in order to whakapakari toku reo. I'm taking any opportunity!

Te reo Māori is the language of Aotearoa, and we have a responsibility to help keep it strong

Freya

I'd like to have a conversation in Te Reo Māori.

To recognise the mahi done in 1972 to bring back Te Reo, I feel inspired to continue in every way I can to have Te Reo in my daily life.

Sharon

I would love to become confident in Te Reo. School resources would be awesome and hearing how others share their reo in their work places would be awesome.

Michelle

For our children's children. That Te reo maori would be as widely spoken in their generation as english is across Aotearoa.

Because I'm a New Zealander and I want to become more fluent in the first of our official languages. . .

Kia kaha te reo Māori!

Lenora

I think its a great initiative. By taking part it will encourage myself and friends to speak te reo Māori outside or our homes and outside of our classroom. Normalising the use of te reo in everyday activities and life is one of my goals for the year.

Karmela

Ko tōku reo! Ahakoa ehara i te tohunga, me kōrero kia ora ai te iwi Māori me tō tātou reo atāahua.

Cecelia

Ko Māori, ko ahauTino whakahirahira Te Reo Māori ki au

Jake

As a history student at university, studying New Zealand women’s history, the importance of having a awareness, appreciation and active promotion of te reo Māori has only become more apparent. I want to learn more, to encourage others to learn more and to do so with diligence and love. We have a lot to learn and to talk about as New Zealanders in regards to our history, and being able to engage in conversation with our tangatawhenua is only the start ❤️

Kia rere ai te reo, kia ora ai te reo, kia tika ai te reo, kia rāngona te reo ki ngā horopaki katoa. "Kia ūkaipō anō te reo".

I do not want to see te reo and tikanga Maori die. I am Maori and grew up in a time when we were taught all the negatives about being Maori, although a lot of this teaching was not my experience of my whanau or how I was brought up, so fortunately, as I got older, it had me questioning the education system. However I did miss out on learning te reo but am determined to learn now. Better late than never! !

I would like to to speak fluent one day because I feel like I need to learn my culture/language so I can get my moko kauae. That is my goal.

Rhianna

Ko te reo maaori taku kai i ia raa i te koohanga reo o Hoani Waititi Marae, i ngaa ahiahi anoo hoki i aaku mahi whakaako i te reo i teetahi whare waananga naa reira ahakoa te kaupapa e whakatairanga ana i too taatou reo, kei reira au.

I am so passionate about Te Reo and Tikanga Maori. I am Pakeha with rich ancestory that has made deep connections with Maori people. My Ancestor Salvatore Cimeno was one of the first Italian immigrants to NZ and he was made an honorary member of the Ngati Raukawa tribe due to his friendship with the nororious Cheif Te Rauparaha. Te Rauparaha wrote the haka Kamate Kamate! and he helped build a mean as church in Otaki. I am proud of this connection. As a young girl in the 80s I was privileged to attended Kohanga reo with delightful Maori ladies who spent their precious time teaching me pronunciation and basic words before going to a predominantly Maori Kura in remote Tairawhiti along with the Rongowhakata & Nga Taimanuhiri peeps. I felt the aroha and the manaakitanga & the pono of many things Tikanga Maori. During Cyclone Bola I have wonderful memories of being evacuated on to Manutuke Marae with my neighbours and feeling safe and excited to be under one roof in the whare nui. After many years spent in the "Western World" my heart knows how wonderful Tikanga Maori and Te reo is and how important it is to be kaitianga of taonga like this language. Big mihi to all that have kept the language alive. It is good for all of us.

Im maori scottish descent and want to learn.

dave

Contribute to the revitalisation of Te Reo

Philomena

Contribute to the revitalisation of Te Reo

Philomena

Because I love my Culture

Caroline

My tamariki

I live in NZ, have a passion for Maori principles around kaitiakia and feel I have a responsibility to expose and teach my classroom students Te Reo.

Te Reo Maori is a taonga of our country and we need to protect it and grow it. At the very least to pronounce it correctly. Te reo is the doorway into Te Ao Maori and gives Aotearoa a starting point to being the very best community and country we can be.

Te Reo is a taonga and it is my hope that one day the majority of us will be able to converse in Te Reo.

Im passionate about the preservation and growth of te reo Maori. I would love to see my mokopuna speak our reo rangatira so it is never lost.

Jae

We must look after our language! Sir James Hēnare (Tā Hēmi Henare) uses the phrase which has become the rallying cry of the Māori-language revitalisation movement, ‘Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori’ – the language is the life force of the mana Māori. Ko te reo te mauri o te mana Māori. Ko te kupu te mauri o te reo Māori. E rua ēnei wehenga kōrero e hāngai tonu ana ki runga i te reo Māori. Ko te reo, nō te Atua mai. The language is the life force of the mana Māori. The word is the life force of the language. These two ideas are absolutely crucial to the Māori language. A language, which is a gift to us from God.

Apart from the beauty and value of te reo Māori itself, all people living in and belonging to this country must be bilingual (at least) - te reo rangatira me te reo tuarua (Pakeha). What a better way to re-enfranchise a people, than to insist their language is relevant and advocate for its centrality to all thingsWhat a better way to know our nation's history than to hear it through te reo rangatiraWhat a better way to understand nga mamae than to feel it through the voices of those who experience itWhat a better way to enrich our lives than to humbly learn the taonga of nga tangata whenuaWhat a better way to grow all our nation's kids than by doing so i te ngakau o te reo rangatira

I'm looking forward to a bi-cultural, bi-lingual New Zealand for my grandchildren. This is part of that pathway! <3

Beth

I have been trying to learn Te Reo Maori for about a year now as I feel the kiwi identity is closely linked to Maori and learning the language, history and tikanga will make me feel more connected

Andrew

I have been trying to learn Te Reo Maori for about a year now as I feel the kiwi identity is closely linked to Maori and learning the language, history and tikanga will make me feel more connected

Andrew

The petition to teach te reo in our schools, and the need to learn more and practise so I can teach my son

Te Reo is the main language of Aotearoa and is unique Taonga.

Maria

As a teacher it is important that we promote the use of Te Reo whenever/wherever possible.

Paul

I think te reo Maori is hugely important to our country and I feel privileged to be able to learn it and share it in my workplace. I would love to see te reo normalised everywhere in our country and I attempt to do so whenever I can.

Susie

To gain more reo and ideas on how to teach

Te reo is part of me, part of us.

Mark

Kia Ora, I wish to learn Te Reo, but haven't found a free online resource yet? nga mihi

Because its my fight to carry on what my ancestors gave me

Te Rerenga

The majority of my students are Māori. I believe it is important that they hear Te Reo as much as possible to ensure that their culture, language and identity is celebrated and seen as important. I also have a personal goal of learning how to korero Māori.

Natemea ko tenei te mea nui ki ahau . . . Te Mūtunga kē mai o te pai rawa te reo rangatira. . . Not only for this week but for as long as you can . . . "ahakoa he iti, he niania"

Kelly

I work at Waitangi Treaty Grounds as an educator and would love to be able to speak and understand more te reo to use with school groups

Imogen

We need to keep Te Reo alive and grow it in this country from grass roots up and outwards :-)

nyree

Kei te ngākaunui ahau ki te reo me ōna tikanga. Kei te hiahia i te reo kia hoki ki ngā ngutu o Ngāi Māori mā kia puawai mai anō he reanga kaikōrero Māori. Otirā, kia rere hoki te reo ki waenganui o rātou nō iwi kē.

Kei te tauira au i akonga tau rua o te reo Māori ā Te Wangana ō Aotearoa. He Pākeha au. He tokotoru tamariki au ō Ngāti Kahu raua Ngāti Parou ōna iwi. He pirangi ako au i Te Reo Māori ō ako ratou. Te māmā o tokorua ngā tamariki ka mate i 2012. Me mohio raua te ahurea ōna ngā tangata.

Rick

My mokopuna can continue the legacy of our tipuna

Hine

We have a responsibility to our indigenous people of NZ to keep our culture/customs and language alive.

Michele

I grew up in a predominately maori area. When my father died local Maori wanted him to return to their Marae. A great honour as we are European most years they would hold a gathering for him so am interested and think it is time I learnt more of the culture and the language.

Karin

I grew up with a horrendously racist father who pulled me out of any class throughout my schooling that included te reo Māori. I feel it's my duty to pick up and learn - even if just a little - the language and use as much as I can.

Josh

I want the Maori language and culture to live on.

Language drives me to take part, it is the thing that connects people and cultures. I have grown up listening to and learning maori and love the language even though I cant speak it.

As a pakeha I wish to be part of the resurgence of the Maori language.

Justine

I am a passionate exe teacher and I believe it is important for everyone to learn and appreciate te reo. I am still on my learning journey along with the children who inspire me every day

Its such a beautiful complex language that gives huge insight into the culture and would be a tragedy if it were lost.

I just want to increase my linguistic abilities. Get in touch with my heritage.

Treena

This is the only Nation that speaks our Language so it's for every Kiwi be Proud it's our uniqueness in the World ara He Maori ahau kaua e whakama korero Maori te Reo tuatahi o Aotearoa ae Kapai tena he mihi tenei ki a koutou�

Raa Jonathan

So that we can normalise our beautiful taonga, Te Reo Māori, that was attempted to be eradicated from our tūpuna. Revatalise Te Reo Māori for generations to come! Mauri Ora!

Natalie

The importance of te reo Māori being heard as it is our nations mother tongue and i want to be apart of something much bigger to make a difference.

Nikkira

I want to support the concept of some use of Te Reo Māori being used by all New Zealanders.

Elizabeth

He akonga ahau, for me its about speaking Te Reo Maori more and so that it becomes my everyday language. I also want it to be used in my workplace and my staff are hungry to learn Te Reo.

My whaene was not allowed to speak te reo and her matua would not teach her. She tried so hard, as an adult, to learn but the block was too much. She was whakama but could not teach us what she did not know. Therefore, my why is in remembrance of my whaene and her generation. Nga mihiManu

Manu

Kia tokomaha ake te hunga mohio ki te reo Māori mā runga ake o ngā aheinga o te tangata

I think te Reo is a beautiful language. My wee 2 yr old moko has inspired me to learn more.

Susie

Taking part of this movement revitalises my own journey with learning the languages that are important to my family - Samoan and NZSL, and to keep learning te reo Māori. It's also supporting our son who is studying te reo Māori at high school. It's reminding me to use it where ever, whenever, however with whomever. Karawhiua!

Rosalie

We're keen to participate in celebrating and improving Māori language use. We do need some help tho. . .

Important part of NZ history and culture that I want to help to thrive. To teach my new pēpi so she can continue te reo Māori.

I have an innate need to share our Maori culture. This is not my first culture but it is the culture of our land and I want my tamariki to know how special they are and how much what they have matters. The reo is our Tsonga and we need to protect it. Nga mihi Anna

It's such a cool positive kaupapa and a great opportunity to think about how I can do much better. Love it.

Rhonda

We must keep this kaupapa going all the time.

I've been wanting to begin learning the language for a little while now, so this is a wonderful reason to get started. Thank you.

Kerry

Ko te reo rakatira o ēnei motu. Ka mutu. Ka kore he take atu.

Lorraine

Our beautiful Ngati Porou Koro, who passed away this year in February is our motivation.

Pauline

Tena te mihi kia koutou, I work for a Kaupapa Maori Health and Social Service and I want to increase the use of Te Reo Maori in the organisation. By simple every day practices we include karakia and waiata in our morning staff hui, listen to our local iwi radio station and start with a kupu hou or phrase every morning in staff rounds. The more we speak and listen will normalise the use of te reo in our lives.