Questions to get you started:

Growing up

• Did you hear te reo often growing up? If so, where? 
• What are your most prominent memories of te reo Māori? 
• Did you grow up speaking te reo Māori, or did you learn te reo Māori as a second language? What were those experiences like for you?

Learning

• What tools and tactics have you used to learn te reo? E.g. immersion, classes, books, television. 
• What positive attitudes and support have you experienced as a speaker or learner of te reo? 
• What negative attitudes have you experienced as a speaker or learner of te reo? How did these positive and negative experiences affect your language learning, or your use of te reo, for better or worse? 

Moments

• Can you remember any times when te reo was in the news? Was it positive or negative? How did this impact you?
• What do you think some of the most important moments in te reo history are? What has been most important for you and your whānau? How has te reo changed since you were a child? 

Whānau

• How were the experiences and knowledge of te reo different within your whānau? 
• Who were the language champions in your life and in your whānau? 
• Does your whānau have a language plan? 
• How was your whānau affected by urban migration and the World Wars? How was your whānau affected by te reo being banned in schools? Do any of your whānau have memories or kōrero about these events? 
• Can you remember any big milestones for te reo, such as the Māori Language Petition, the Māori Language March, or te reo becoming an official language? Were any of your whānau involved? 
• What do you hope your descendants will know about your own te reo journey and the te reo journey of your whānau? 
• What advice would you give your descendants and whānau who want to learn and speak te reo Māori? What would you tell those who are whakamā?
• What are your hopes and dreams for te reo in your whānau? 

For more help and guidance, download the Individuals and Whānau Toolkete or see tips to record an interview.

Here are some pātai to get you started:

History

• Can you find your business or organisation’s earliest te reo Māori record? Or mention? What is it about? What other early te reo records can you find? 
• What is your business or organisation’s reo journey? Can you tell us about the times when the journey was tough? As well as the times when it was great? How did you learn from these experiences? 
• What are your business or organisation’s stand out moments?
• Has your organisation, business, institute or rōpū been involved in any milestones for te reo? Look at our timeline on the Stories of te Reo website.

Celebration of te reo Māori

• How has your business or organisation celebrated Te Wiki o te Reo Māori? What do you do? When did you start? 
• Did your business or organisation participate in Te Wā Tuku Reo / Māori Language Moment in 2020 and 2021? If so, what did you do to mark it? 
• Has your workplace ever celebrated Matariki? What are some stories of how you celebrated in the past? 
• What was the first Matariki celebration for your workplace or place of learning? 

Te reo Māori names

• Does your business or organisation have a te reo Māori name? If so, tell us about how it came about: Was it gifted to you (and if so by whom and why)? What motivated your team? When did it come into force? What was the response from others? 
• Do people speak te reo at your workplace or place of learning? How has this come about? What are the challenges and benefits? 
• Does your business or organisation have its own waiata? Who composed it? What is its story and what does it mean for your workplace? 
• Who have been the champions of te reo in your business/organisation/sector recently and in past years?
• Do you do any work in te reo Māori or directly related to te reo? e.g. teaching te reo courses, creating and selling te reo products and resources, providing a professional service like legal help or counselling in te reo Māori.
• What other languages are used in your workplace, organisation or place of learning?

Te reo initiatives 

• Does your business or organisation have a language plan? How, when and why did you create a language plan? 
• What has the impact of your language plan been?
• Does your business or organisation run te reo classes? If so, when did these begin and how has it impacted te reo in your workplace?
• Do you provide te reo Māori resources or create te reo Māori publications? What has been important about this?
• Hopes and dreams for te reo
• What do you want the kaimahi in your workplace or place or learning to know in 10, 20 or 50 years’ time about your te reo journey? 
• What do you hope your business or organisation achieves for te reo in the future? These goals can be small, large and everything in between. 

For more help and guidance, download the Organisation Toolkete or see tips to record an interview.

Here are some pātai to help you get started:

History

• What is your kaupapa? How did it come about and why?
• Are the founders of your kaupapa still around? If not, what legacy did they leave you? 
• What makes you a kaupapa Māori organisation or business? 
• What role has te reo Māori played in your kaupapa? Has it changed over time?
• What are your stand-out successes and positives? 
• Does your business or organisation have a te reo name? If so, where does it come from? 
• Does your business or organisation have other te reo names e.g. departments, teams, meeting rooms and buildings? If so, tell us about the whakaaro behind these. How have they positively impacted your mahi and your team?
• Whose work is your business or organisation inspired by? 
• Has your business or organisation been involved in any te reo milestones over the years? Perhaps any of the anniversaries being celebrated this year? What do you remember about them? 

Hopes and dreams 

• What do you hope the state of te reo is in your workplace in 10, 20 or 50 years’ time? 
• What do you want the kaimahi in your workplace to know about your history and your te reo journey?

Use of te reo 

• Do people speak te reo at your workplace? If so, how much and how did this come about? What are the challenges and benefits? 
• Do you have a language plan or professional development available in te reo Māori? Do you provide staff lessons or attend wānanga? If so, what has the impact been?
• How is te reo Māori used in your mahi?
• Do you have bilingual office signage, a website or social media or promotional materials? 
• Are you involved in teaching te reo Māori? If so, who do you teach it to?
• Do you provide services in te reo? What do you think the impact of this has been? Is it hard to find people in your profession who speak te reo to deliver these services?
• Do you create resources, publications or products in te reo Māori?
• Do you have language domains in your office (wāhi rūmaki reo) such as your kitchen during lunch time?
• Who have been the champions of te reo in your business/sector recently and in past years?

Celebrations of te reo Māori 

• How has your business or organisation celebrated Te Wiki o te Reo Māori? What do you do? When did you start? 
• Did your business or organisation participate in Te Wā Tuku Reo Māori / the Māori Language Moment in 2020 and 2021? If so, what did your workplace do to mark it? 
• Has your workplace ever celebrated Matariki? What are some stories of how you celebrated in the past? Has Matariki becoming an official public holiday affected this at all? 
• Does your business or organisation celebrate any other traditions where te reo Māori me ōna tikanga are important? 

For more help and guidance, download the Kaupapa Māori Organisation Toolkete or see tips to record an interview.

Here are some questions to help you get started:

• Does your school have a school song in te reo? Who wrote it? 
• When did your school celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori for the first time?
• What does your school usually do for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori? 
• Does your school have a te reo Māori name? How did it get that name? 
• Does your school have a te reo teacher? How long has this been in place? 
• Does your school compete in kapa haka competitions or have a kapa haka group?
• When and where do you hear te reo Māori being spoken at your school? Has it always been that way?
• Does your school celebrate Matariki? When did this start? 
• Who have been the champions for te reo at your school?
• Have you learned te reo Māori games at school? What are they? 
• How did the teachers at your school incorporate te reo into their lessons? Does your school have a te reo Māori department, a kapa haka group or classes in te reo? What led to this being established? What impact has it had on your students, and your school identity? 

For more help and guidance, download the School Toolkete or see tips to record an interview.

Here are some questions to help get started:

History 

• Can you find your organisation’s earliest te reo Māori record? Or mention? What is it about? What are other early te reo records you can find? 
• What is your organisation’s reo journey? Can you tell us about the times when the journey was tough? As well as the times when it was great? How did you learn from these experiences? 
• What are your organisation’s stand out moments? 

Te reo Māori names 

• Does your organisation have a te reo Māori name? If so, tell us about how it came about: what motivated your team? When did it come into force? What was the response from others? 
• Does your organisation have other te reo names e.g. departments, teams, meeting rooms and buildings? If so, tell us about how it came about: what motivated your team? When did it come into force? What was the response from others? 

Use of te reo

• Do you promote te reo in other ways? Bilingual office signage? Website and/or social media? Annual Report or other flagship documents? 
• Do people speak te reo at your offices? How has this come about? What are the challenges and benefits? 
• Does your organisation have its own waiata? Who composed it? What is its story, and what does it mean for your organisation? 

Celebrations of te reo Māori 

• How has your organisation celebrated Te Wiki o te Reo Māori? What do you do? When did you start? 
• Did your organisation participate in Te Wā Tuku Reo / Māori Language Moment in 2020 and 2021? If so, what did your organisation do to commemorate it? 
• Has your organisation ever celebrated Matariki? What are some stories of how you celebrated in the past? 
• What was the first Matariki celebration for your organisation? 

Te reo initiatives 

• Does your organisation have a language plan? How, when, and why did you create a language plan? 
• What has the impact of your language plan been? 
• Does your organisation run te reo classes? If so, when did these begin and how has it impacted te reo in your organisation? 
• Do you provide te reo Māori resources or create te reo Māori publications? What has been important about this? 

Hopes and dreams for te reo 

• What do you want the kaimahi working in your organisation to know in 10, 20, or 50 years-time about your te reo journey? 
• What do you hope your organisation achieves for te reo in the future?

For more help and guidance, download the Public Sector Toolkete or see tips to record an interview.

Tauira can hear from their elders what the state of te reo Māori was like at the time and how the battle has been fought by kura to raise tamariki in te reo Māori me ōna tikanga.

Hei whakaaro

• Who worked to establish your kura? When and whydid this happen? 
• What is unique about the identity or history of your kura?
• What challenges and setbacks have been faced by the movement?
• Are these challenges still experienced today? What have been the successes and celebrations?
• How was your kura named?
• Who have been the important leaders of your kura? What legacy have they left you?
• Who opened your kura? What led them to their mahi? Are they, or their whānau, still involved today?
• If you are a kura Aho Matua, ask your kaumātua, mātua and kaiako what their memories are of Te Aho Matua. How did Te Aho Matua come to be adopted by your kura? How does your kura embody Te Aho Matua? What have been the challenges and successes? What was the impact when it became law?
• What have been your biggest achievements and successes as a kura?
• What was the status of te reo in your community when the kura opened? How has this changed? What other ways has the battle to revitalise te reo been fought by your community? 
• Can you remember any times when te reo was in the news? Was it positive or negative? How did this impact you?
• What do you think some of the most important moments in te reo history are? What has been most important for you and your whānau? How has te reo changed since you were a child? 
• What have been your biggest challenges? What setbacks have you experienced?
• Do any of your kaumātua, mātua and kaiako remember the Māori Language Petition or the Māori language marches? Were they involved? What was happening in their lives at the time? What are some of your favourite memories of your kura?
• Over the years, how has your kura participated in the following and how have they changed over time?
• Manu Kōrero, Kapa haka competitions, Matariki celebrations and Waitangi Day?
• What are your hopes and dreams for the future of your kura?

For more help and guidance, download the Kura Māori Toolkete or see tips to record an interview.

Here are some pātai to get you started:

• How has kōhanga reo been a part of your story? 
• Did you attend kōhanga reo? What do you remember from kōhanga reo? Who do you remember? 
• What do you want to say to your kōhanga teachers? 
• What do you want to say to the kōhanga teachers of today? 
• How did kōhanga reo impact your life? 
• How/when did your kōhanga reo open? 
• Why did you send your tamariki to kōhanga reo? 
• Why did your whānau send you to kōhanga reo? 

For more help and guidance, download the Kōhanga Reo Toolkete or see tips to record an interview.