Huarahi Reo - My Journey with Te Reo Māori

This week is Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, Māori Language Week - a time to honour and celebrate the language that holds the essence and spirit of Aotearoa.

Reflecting on my journey with Te Reo Māori, I am deeply grateful for the role it has played in deepening my connection to this land and people as well as to my own ancestral stories.

Te Reo Wananga

Pō Whakanuia 2023

Te Reo Language Class Graduation 2023

When I arrived in Aotearoa 25 years ago from Australia, it wasn’t just the stunning landscapes that held me here - it was something much deeper. Over time, I have experienced a pull toward Te Ao Māori (the Māori world) —the culture, the language and the spirit of the land. It has been as though Aotearoa has called me home in a way I had never anticipated. The more I learn about the Māori worldview, the more I begin to understand that within this wisdom lies answers to some of humanity’s greatest challenges—from sustainability to collective well-being.

Two years ago, I embarked on my journey into Te Ao Māori by joining Te Reo Māori classes through Te Whatu Ora. Around the same time, I had the privilege of co-organising and hosting a Cultural Wellbeing Retreat for healthcare practitioners to explore key concepts from the Māori worldview in an experiential wellness space. The retreat was an opportunity for clinicians to learn practical ways to better connect with and serve Tangata Whai Ora —patients and whānau—and it reinforced the invaluable role of Te Reo in fostering those connections.

As Te Whatu Ora wrote on Linked In today “No one is asking for fluency, but respectful use of te reo Māori enhances understanding and patient trust. It acknowledges the cultural identity of the patient, making them feel respected and valued which can create outcomes that are lasting and positive.”

The greatest blessing on my Reo journey goes beyond the intellectual side of learning a language to a spiritual deepening. This has been masterfully facilitated by my beloved teacher and friend Mereana Pou, whose wisdom and dedication have helped me navigate this path with respect and understanding.

Yet, I am only at the beginning.

Learning Te Reo Māori is far more than mastering a language; it’s about embodying a deeper connection to the land, people, culture and to yourself. It’s about contributing to the revitalisation of a language that can not just be spoken but woven into the very fabric of how we live and work. I feel a responsibility and commitment to being part of this collective journey.

Te Reo Māori is a gift that can enrich all of us, no matter our origins. It’s a reminder that language holds the stories, values and identity of a people and place. And by learning it, we too can become part of those stories.

As we celebrate Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori I encourage you to reflect on your own relationship with this beautiful language, what it is, and what it could be.

Ko au tētahi whiri, e hono ana ki te whāriki o Aotearoa.

I am a plait that binds to the mat of New Zealand.

Kōrero gifted to me from ‘Buzz’.