Three keen te reo learners from across the South shared their journeys with the language with Otago Daily Times reporter Ani Ngawhika.
Scout Barbour-Evans
How long have you been learning te reo?
I have tried on and off for most of my adult life to learn te reo Māori, but decided to focus more on immersing myself in tikanga and te ao Māori while I did my undergraduate studies. I hope to do my Level 5 course at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa next year.
What made you want to learn te reo?
Being an urban Māori and growing up in Ōtepoti, I didn’t have many opportunities to reclaim my culture — and for a long time I was too whakamā (shy).
I want my kōtiro (girl) to have more access to our whakapapa so that she has better wellbeing outcomes.
We are both working hard to learn — myself in night classes, and her in kōhanga reo.
What has been the most difficult part of your journey?
There is a stage for many of us Māori learning te reo where we can write and comprehend, but speaking and conversing is a challenge.
I’m at that stage, so most of my conversation practice is happening with the pēpi (baby) and teina (juniors) at kōhanga.
I am finding it to be a really challenging stage to overcome, but I know I will get there.
What has been the most rewarding part?
Watching my kōtiro stand in front of 150 people and deliver a karakia mutunga (closing blessing), confidently and clearly, at barely 4 years old. I know so many adults who couldn’t do that yet.
The confidence she has growing up in te ao Māori brings me so much joy.
The most rewarding part of my personal haerenga (journey) was the first time I was able to write a comment entirely in te reo Māori, responding to an anti-Māori commenter in the Otago Daily Times’ Facebook comments.
What’s your advice for people wanting to learn te reo?
Even if you don’t have the time for a class yet, it’s never too late to come into te ao Māori.
Pop along to a community pōwhiri at Āraiteuru, have a listen to the Taringa podcast, see what’s on Whakaata Māori (Māori TV) or buy some of Scotty Morrison’s Māori Made Easy books.
Come into it with an open mind and heart. You’ll be surprised how much you already know. The best time to start was yesterday, but the next best time to start is now.
What is your favourite whakataukī (proverb)? And why/what does it mean to you?
Poipoia te kākano, kia puāwai — nurture the seed, and it will grow.
I believe te reo Māori was a gift given to us by our tīpuna (ancestors), and much like a kākano (seed), we must nurture the language so it can grow for our children.
Corey Ford
How long have you been learning te reo?
I’ve been on this journey for 12 years, since the birth of our first son.
What made you want to learn te reo?
I was inspired by others around us, particularly Komene Cassidy and Paulette Tamati-Elliffe who were raising their tamariki with te reo, and I wanted to support my wife, Cherie, to do the same.
What has been the most difficult part of your journey?
Learning as an adult has been really, really hard.
All of the people that we surround ourselves with have been on this journey for a lot longer than me and make it look so easy. It’s hard not to feel whakamā (shy).
Other people think it should be easier for you because you live with a te reo Māori speaker and you are often in Māori-speaking environments. But I’ve actually found that to be more difficult at times.
What has been the most rewarding part?
Being able to communicate with our sons in te reo and seeing them grow up so confident in who they are and where they come from. That’s something I never had as a kid, so it’s pretty cool for them and myself to be a part of.
What’s your advice for people wanting to learn te reo?
Don’t be afraid to keep trying different things until you find the right fit. For me, running a business full-time in a non-te-reo-speaking industry, it’s a huge commitment for me to continue to learn te reo outside of work hours.
After a few years of doing night classes and weekend wānanga (educational conference), I’m currently doing "Te Reo with Tanz" classes at Āraiteuru Marae once a week during my work day. I’m also doing the Mounga Reo online course through my Taranaki iwi.
What is your favourite whakataukī? And why/what does it mean to you?
Kaua e mate wheke, mate ururoa — don’t die like an octopus, die like a hammerhead shark.
No matter how tough life can be, just keep pushing forward. Somebody is always going to be going through something worse than you. I’d rather know that I’ve given something my all, than sit back wondering.
Nicola Jenkins
How long have you been learning te reo?
I started learning te reo in 2010 when I began working at the Aotearoa village in the Polynesian Cultural Centre in Hawaii. But I did not even know how to respond when someone said "tēnā koe" to me. Embarrassed, I quickly enrolled in a few beginner te reo Māori papers.
More recently, I began studying to achieve my certificate in te reo Māori level 1 and 2. I go to a 3-hour night class once a week and we have some weekend noho marae (overnight marae stays) and wānanga courses.
What made you want to learn te reo?
My grandparents were punished at school for speaking Māori, which meant my mum grew up not learning how to speak Māori or practice tikanga.
This meant I grew up not learning the language or customs.
My family were adventurous and we frequently moved around the world so I’ve always felt disconnected from my culture. I was motivated to reclaim my culture and my language and be able to teach my tamariki about their whakapapa.
What has been the most difficult part of your journey?
The hardest thing is dealing with racist comments of people who feel uncomfortable with New Zealand embracing and incorporating te reo Māori and its tikanga. It feels like we’re being recolonised for trying to hold on to our Māoritanga.
What has been the most rewarding part?
Finding confidence speaking reo. I shared my pepeha for the first time in a corporate setting; it was terrifying but empowering.
Before beginning my class this year I was scared to. I could say the words but had no understanding of what I was saying and had a bit of imposter syndrome.
What’s your advice for people wanting to learn te reo?
Don’t compare yourself to others, everyone is learning at their own level. Learning te reo Māori is fun and I’ve made some great friends.
What is your favourite whakataukī ? And why/what does it mean to you?
Kia mau ki to Māoritanga — hold fast to your Māori heritage.
Despite not being raised in the language or customs, you can always start somewhere. Hold on to your Māori heritage and give learning a go.
