Language

Life as a Māori translator

"It must be translated with intention."

How non-Māori learning te reo helps revitalise it

“I am opposed to the idea that only Māori should be part of the revitalisation.”

‘Learning Te Reo helped me form a deeper connection to my Sri Lankan heritage’

We talked to four tauiwi (non-Māori) about their journey with te reo Māori.

‘You’re not going to get a job in te reo Māori’: 3 people who proved this wrong

Today we are seeing the fruits of sacrifices whānau have made in order to save the language.

Make te reo Māori a compulsory subject, Race Relations Commissioner says

Prioritising the language will help race relations in Aotearoa, the Commissioner says.

‘I don’t want rangatahi to have to fight for our reo’: 6 people on their hopes for te reo Māori

We spoke to 6 people in Te Whanganui-a-Tara, all at different stages of their reo journey.

I spent the last year reclaiming te reo Māori full time. Here’s what I learnt

A reflection from Shilo Kino, a journalist and author.

Affirmations for when you need a reminder of your connection to Te Reo Māori

Ariana Stevens from Reo Māori Mai created some affirmations for those of us on our reo journey.

When do we call an attacker a terrorist? We asked three experts

After the Lynn mall terror attack, some Kiwis are confused about language used by media & politician

Overcoming the shame of being Māori but not speaking te reo | He Kākano Ahau: Wawatatia | Episode 6

Let's talk about the challenges that come with learning te reo as a second language.

'It’s everything': 11 wāhine tell us about their relationship to te reo Māori

“My relationship to te reo Māori is one of humility."

Mahinga Kai - He Kākano Ahau: Wawatatia, Series 2 | Episode 4

This episode in Te Reo asks how we might uphold Māori traditions for the wellbeing of the people.

How learning te reo Māori helped me heal my mental health

“Last year, I started learning te reo Māori and my perspective on everything changed.”

Like many of our rangatahi, Katelyn Vaha’akolo struggled with her mental health as…

Judah, Tafara, and Pako: Not Your White Boy | Conversations With My Immigrant Parents

“Not getting a job doesn’t surprise me, I feel like racism plays a part in that. I’ve been looking for work for the last ten years,…

How the Kiwi accent evolved

Why exactly do we pronounce it like “fush and chups”?

An 18-year-old on the importance of te reo Māori regional dialects

An 18-year-old from Ngāti Porou on the the importance of regional differences in te reo Māori.

Seven students tell us why they’re learning te reo Māori

Seven students tell us why they’re learning te reo Māori.

Rediscovering Aotearoa: Podcast - Reo | Language

Te Reo Māori was banned in schools in 1867.120 years later it became an official language, but by then only 15% of Māori could speak their mother…

Rediscovering Aotearoa: Reo | Language

Ngā Hinepūkōrero are a group of champion slam poets fluent in te reo. They meet Takunda Muzondiwa, who moved to Aotearoa from Zimbabwe as a child,…

Mahuru Māori - Fortnite

Learning languages can happen anywhere, even online! We chatted with Ross McDougall about his mission to get te reo Māori into the gaming world via Fortnite.

The art of reclamation

'Sticks and stones...' may be a nice sentiment but sometimes it's just not true. Now, from 'bitch' to 'queer' people are reclaiming these words, turning one…

Te reo classes are in massive demand

Te reo Māori is undergoing a learning boom. With thousands on waiting lists for kura across the country, how are we dealing with this amazing revitalisation?

The woman who fought to say 'kia ora'

In 1984 Dame Rangimarie Naida Glavish was almost fired for saying 'kia ora'. We take a look at how her protest paved the way for Te…

Louisa is a hyper-polyglot

Speaking more than one language is impressive enough, now how about speaking six? Say hallo, bonjour, hola, zdravo to Louisa - a hyperpolyglot

Why is there so much English in K Pop?

The phenomenon that is K Pop is taking over global pop culture right now. But why are there so many random English lyrics?

The Decline of Indigenous Languages

Globalisation is taking its toll on precious indigenous languages. In the next century 50-90% of the world's languages will be lost, so can we fix this…

Learning a language with VR

Learning a second language is tough, but virtual reality is here to help out. The VR programme transports high schoolers around the globe to practise on…

Rangiora - the predominantly Pākehā town working to keep te reo Māori alive

According to the 2013 census, Rangiora is 92.7% Pākehā. Despite being one of NZ's whitest towns, they're taking amazing strides to preserve te reo and tikanga…

Alien Weaponry, the Waipu thrash metal band

Alien Weaponry are a thrash metal band with a difference: they don't just scream, they scream in Te Reo Māori.