Te Wiki o te Reo Māori Archives

Bilingual superpowers

Posted by Hilary Smith | Sep 21, 2025 | Comment & Analysis, Reo

“We should not underestimate the capacity of our children’s brains, but should be celebrating and supporting all the benefits of their potential bilingual superpowers.” — Linguist Hilary Smith.

Be more curious than afraid

Posted by Michelle Campbell | Sep 21, 2025 | Reo

“This year has been about navigating the surprising layers of grief for a language I never had until now, and envying anybody who grew up with it.” — Michelle Campbell.

Violence beat te reo Māori out of my whakapapa. Aroha brought it back.

Posted by Marama Davidson | Sep 14, 2025 | Reo

“Generational trauma rises in me every time I think of Nana as a little girl being violently punished for speaking the only language she knew. Generational aroha pushes me forward to the mic.” — Marama Davidson on her reo journey.

Reckoning with reo revival

Posted by Awanui Te Huia | Sep 22, 2024 | Reflections, Reo

“Te reo can’t be revitalised to its fullest extent without addressing some of the fundamental constraints under which its revitalisation is taking place.” — Awanui Te Huia.

Common mistakes in reo Māori

Posted by Siena Yates | Sep 15, 2024 | Reo

“If you get too caught up on mistakes all the time, you get into analysis paralysis, where you focus so much on not messing up that it stunts your ability to speak.” — Hona Black on correcting errors in te reo Māori.

Te wero nui o te Wiki o te Reo Māori

Posted by Siena Yates | Oct 2, 2022 | Reo

“Every time I went to any Pākehā space, my reo disappeared.” — Siena Yates, on challenging herself to speak only Māori during Māori Language Week.

Privilege and language trauma

Posted by Vini Olsen-Reeder | Sep 26, 2021 | Reo

“As the dust settles following Te Wiki o te Reo Māori, I feel like I’ve been through all the stages of grief. I’m unsure what part I play now.” — Vini Olsen-Reeder.