Te pae kōrero | Who's joined

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'

 

Being a kiwi...

Lois - Arrowtown

“Because it’s fun” says my eight-year-old tamahine :) And I say also because it’s just, right, beautiful, enlightening and powerful...

Liz - Whanganui-a-Tara

learning te reo Māori is important to me because it is the reo of my tupuna and our whenua Aotearoa/NZ...

Liz - Lower Hutt

Tangata whenua...

Leslie

I want to learn more about Maori people and improve my Maori language...

Lena - Auckland

Whoops I meant to sign up earlier...

Leishia - Lower Hutt

Because Te Reo Maori is not spoken anywhere else in the world...

Leilani - Wellington

As a Maori wahine I think it is very important , it's apart of who I am...

Leah - Lowehutt

Te Reo Maori is an official language of NZ, it's our culture and history...

Laura - Tamaki Makaurau

I have three tamariki under 3...

Kwin - Waitara

We can each contribute in some small way to effect great change...

Kierin - Christchurch

It is a language that belongs in New Zealand and I would never what to see it die out...

Kirsty - Kawakawa

Ko te Reo ake o Aotearoa nei he reo o te tangata whenua...

Kenneth - Waimarino

I would like to move to New Zealand and become part of the community...

Kelsey - katy

So I can help my grandchildren ...

Kaylene - Blenheim

Kia whiua ki te ao, ki nga iwi katoa ...

Kauri - Uawa

I think it's an important part of being a New Zealand that we have a good grasp of Te Reo...

kathy - Northland

I am a wahine Māori, who grew up without knowing how to speak Te Reo Māori...

Katarina - Whakatane

To strengthen and normalise the reo spoken at my kura...

Kat - Tanaka Makaurau

Learning Te Reo deserves the recognition and respect to ensure it becomes the norm in my son and mokopuna lives...

Karmin - Whanganui

We want to celebrate our Bicultural partnership and heritage ...

Jude - Wanaka

Because my school is doing ut and I wouod like to contribute to the schools moments!...

Josie - Auckland

Because te reo Māori is the way we can create equality and what makes us unique as Kiwis...

Jimmi - Auckland

Learning about history and culture is important...

Jessie - Christchurch

Recognising our taonga that is te reo Māori...

Jeremy - Auckland

I want to be able to speak fluent Te Reo so I can connect to my culture...

Jack - Tauranga

To make te reo Māori commonplace and make Aotearoa a truly bilingual country...

Ielyaas - Auckland

I am proud to be Māori and believe that our language is beautiful...

Huia - Hamilton

Tena Koutou...

Holly - Auckland

I am Maori, and sharing my reo has always been paramount...

Henare - Whangarei

To revitalise the indegenous language of New Zealand...

Helena - Napier

My Dad & Mum always encouraged me to learn more about our Maori culture, food, land and whakapapa...

Helen - Melbourne Australia

because Te Reo is our national language and I know very little Te Reo...

Helen - Christchurch

it is a huge part of the country I live in...

helen - christchurch

I have recently been blessed with a great-grandson...

Heather - South Head

To reconnect with my tūpuna and to be a better future health care professional for my Māori patients - so...

Hannah - Auckland

Na aku Tipuna i takoha mai tenei taonga ki wau, na reira kia tika ana kia tukuna atu awau ki...

Gary - Poipiripi

I'm a hungarian woman and I'd like to move to New Zealand...

Gabriella

To help make New Zealand a more equitable society, so that everyone can have the opportunity to thrive...

Florence - Auckland

The language is beautiful and understanding each kupu enables a better understanding of living in Aotearoa...

Fiona - Ohope BEACH

Because I believe Māori should be taught as a second language to everyone in school (made compulsory to learn)...

Ethan - Hamilton

It was beautiful to share the waiata with our choir in a way that help to promote Te Reo...

Erin - Christchurch

It's very important to be connected with our local communities and culture...

Eric - Auckland

My father grew up in Awarua in the far north and his first language he was taught was te reo...

Emmeline - Hamilton

Any language is a treasure...

Emma - Wellington

I'm a new zealander...

Emma - Taupo

I am a Pakeha, but I would like to learn Maori as it is an important part of Aotearoa's culture,...

Emma - London

Decolonisation is critical for healing...

Emily - Christchurch

I will have just moved back from London...

Ella Rose - Auckland

Because it’s a shame and shameful not to take part ❤️...

Elin - Auckland

I am originally from Ireland and have lived in Aotearoa for 16 years, I love the Te Reo Maori language...

Elaine - Picton

I understand and can korero some but need more interaction with fluent speakers of Te reo Maori...

Eddie - Ipswich

Being maori is a privilege, and not knowing how to speak te reo maori breaks my heart,its important to me...

Donnell - Palmerston North

I love so much about our indigenous culture and wairua and am enriched by everything I learn about it...

Dianne - Pokeno

I live in Melbourne, Australia and I have Kiwi/Maori students at my school...

Di - Keysborough

Because of my whãnau, I want them to be more culturally immersed ...

Desiré - Wellington

I would like to be able to learn te reo maori, so that I can pass it on to my...

Derek - Toowong

Acknowledge our whakapapa...

Debbie

Our beautiful bi-cultural nation of Aotearoa needs to embrace and support the growth and development of Te Reo Māori...

Dana - Gore

I want Te Reo to be organic and typical in all kiwi lifestyles...

Crystal - Upper Hutt

To spread the awareness of te reo as a means to know your identify ...

Crawford - Rapahoe

It's part of New Zealand's culture and its important we embrace that and honour it...

Clare - London (UK)

I live in this country and it would be a shame (on me) if I could not even speak a...

Christopher - Wellington

Language is the root of every culture...

Christin "Chris" - Honolulu, HI

Our unique indigenous language should be an integral part of being a kiwi...

Cheryl - Waipawa

I'm a beginner learner and loved studying Te Ara Reo Māori last year and wanted to continue to improve my...

Chelsea - Hamilton

Because I live in Aotearoa...

Charlotte - Christchurch

Because Aotearoa is the only country that acts as the repository for te reo Maori...

Caterina - Edgecumbe

Because I love the Māori language and I would love to learn more and be a part of teaching more...

Carrie - Christchurch

he tangata māori ahau o Aotearoa...

Carl - Gold Coast Australia

I live in Canada, makes me feel closer to my culture and tupuna...

Candice - Okotoks

My children are Maori and my wife is fluent in Te Reo, I need to catch up...

Bryn - Queenstown

To promote Te reo Māori to keep it alive for many generations...

Awaroa - Auckland

Because I want to be more confident in using Te Reo every day...

Anna - Auckland

I want to join jag n and have fun...

Ann - Västerås SWEDEN

I am fascinated with the culture and the importance of te reo Māori...

Andrew - Auckland

I am Maori...

Ana - Rotorua

To help me have structure to help me start my Te Reo journey...

Amy - New Plymouth

I’ve always wanted to learn Māori—it is a beautiful language and connects me to the whenua, even living in the...

Alexandra - York

So I can learn more about my heritage and learn how to speak Maori ...

Alexandra - Auckland

Te reo māori is important to me as a pākehā who is committed to the treaty...

Alexa - Queenstown

I believe te reo is important, and I want to show my support of this...

Alesha - Pahiatua

I wish to understand what is being spoken and written...

Alan - Blenheim

to be one and a 1000,000...

Zoe - Motu

Because I care for my culture it takes a big part of my life and heart...

Zaric - Hamilton

Coz I want to...

Zap - Kāpiti

I'm not a fluent speaker, but I try every day to use what Māori I have ia ra, ia ra...

Zandria - Gisborne

Maori is apart of me, it’s who I am and therefore understanding more of who I am is important for...

Zak - Auckland

Celebrating te Reo Māori is a priority for me, to help recognise the rich culture and heritage we have here...

Zahra - Glenfield

Being disconnected from whakaapapa and culture, It's important for me to push myself to reconnect, restore and reclaim my Maori...

Z - Wellington

Whuia te reo...

Yvonne - Shannon

I grew up in kohanga and kura kaupapa then when I was 8 years old I was transferred to a...

Ysatis - Hamilton

It is important as I would like to embrace the culture we have in NZ...

Yifang - Christchurch

I wanna know maori causal language...

Xinyi - Christchurch

It's important to me on a personal level as well as a professional level...

Willow - Wellington

The reason why I took part is that I believe that Te Reo Maori is NZ 's national language and...

Willie - Auckland

I grew up around a lot of Maori but never really had the opportunity to learn even though I was...

William - Lower Hutt

It is important for me to take part because I am part maori and I use to be able to...

Whaia - Wellington

To improve my understanding of te reo and hopefully be confident to use the language on a daily basis...

Wendy - Whanganui

New Zealand is my home now (since Oct 2000) and I feel closer to the land and to the people...

Wendy - Rotorua