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'

I am Maori and my reo is a part of me that is missing

Kia whangaia i te reo rangatira ki nga mokopuna kei roto i te kura köhungahunga pākeha.

To bring to life the essence of our amazing bi-national country!

Lisa

To encourage others to use te Reo and make it a natural way of greeting people

Anne

To promote Māori language, make it more mainstream and integrate it into our daily conversations and lives. Also to promote and encourage my own children and the children in the school I teach to speak and learn more.

For myself mostly however for my Whànau and future generations.

Josie

To ensure we keep current and practice our Reo in order that it become second nature in our lives - my mihi already is.

Melanie

Because I understand the importance of Te reo in keeping our culture alive and want to support this movement (in my own small way) to show I care.

Michael

My why is my tamariki, for us to learn together ❤

It is an important part of this country's heritage and culture, I need and want to grow my understanding and learn to speak more te reo in my everyday life.

I've always wanted to learn - I think it's a beautiful language built from rich culture. I am bilingual and recognise how important language and culture can be to your identity. Though I'm just one person, I hope that by using more Te Reo in my everyday, I could maybe inspire someone else to learn the language with me!

On my first visit to a Marae in 1984 the Karanga resonated into my soul and I knew that if I did nothing then this sound my ancestors first heard in 1814 could be lost to my mokopuna.

Lois

Desire to speak my grandad parents language got squashed out of my mother an not passed on to me , my children cause I didn’t have it an now my mokos . . . . the downward spiral has to stop in my personal life

Sarah

It's an awesome language and I wish there were more speakers and use of the language so I could practice more

Jason

I am Maori and proud of our beautiful language. Being a second language learner, I was privileged to learn under the auspices of 'Te Ataarangi'. This held me steadfast in promoting, using and teaching Te Reo Maori.

I am a proud kiwi and want to be part of the drive to whakamāori te Reo Māori. My students love learning the language and feel very proud of what they are able to communicate. I think it is so valuable for all New Zealanders to learn Te Reo Māori, I think through learning the language they will learn the culture and deeper understanding will follow.

Heather

Doing it for my husband and my kids and to carry on my mother in law miriamas language and I know she would be proud of us taking part!

I am currently doing a course of study in Te Reo level 4. I enjoy bring an advocate for more Te Reo to be used in Aotearoa.

Barry

I'm really keen to learn more te reo.

I want to learn the language my ancestors and kaumātua speak, and connect with who I am as a Māori New Zealander

I want to learn more and encourage others not to be whakama!

Claudine

I want to learn more and encourage others not to be whakama!

Claudine

I am taking part because Te Reo Māori is my first language and I was not fortunate enough to be raised in the presence of this ātaahua reo. I am claiming back what was rightfully mine to begin with and should have never been taken from my tupuna. Ngā mihi.

Dawn

Because we should, no ifs or buts, its the right thing to do!

Doubtless Bay

It is the language of here, this place, this whenua, it must be celebrated and given the mana it should have by right.

Rachel

Ko te reo kia māori (pū iti), arā kia tangata whenua te reo nei ki tōna tūrangawaewae kei noho hei reo tapu anake (pērā i te reo Hiperu i mua i te whakamanatanga o te whenua Iharaira hei whenua). E kore te reo e ora i te karanga, te whaikōrero me te karakia anake. Kōrerohia tō ao ki tō reo, e kare.

Mo te wā o te ao ā mua

Murray

Nō reira, ka hiahia au ki te kōrero I te Reo Māori i ngā wā katoa. Ngā mihi.

I'm proud of my heritage and want my tamariki to grow up being proud of it too. To be able to korero in our own native language feels like a special gift and I want to share that with my whanau

Trina

I am learning Te Reo at TWOA, and want to stand up and join in!

Diana

I am honoured to be part of this country as tangata whenua and though learning the language will gladly participate and encourage every person I know :)

Stella

New Zealand’s language. . . . . I should be speaking with as much ease as I do English. My why is to bring my reo into my everyday.

Patrick

Te reo Maaori is part of our culture and heritage in Aotearoa and it is the responsibility and privilege of all peoples who live here to learn to speak te reo Maaori and understand tikanga Maaori to honour the partnership in Tiriti o Waitangi and Maaori as a group.

Leah

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