A Maori Podcast

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Kia ora! Welcome to this podcast! As per the title, it's a Maori podcast and I am Maori. I try to keep the podcast completely in Te Reo, this is mainly because I want to improve my own language skills, and the best way to do it is to completely speak the language. I share my insights into learning and improving my reo Maori skills especially as someone that doesn't reside back in the homeland. Hoi ano, nahaku noa, I hope that you enjoy this mahi, and I'm proud to be Maori and to share our language. Ko te reo kia rere! If you live abroad and need a place to hang out, I finally found a great hangout spot filled with Maori speakers here. Discord - Reo Maori I also have a Patreon where I hope to add some additional value. You can find me here:https://patreon.com/amaoripodcast

  1. 5D AGO

    Hawaiian language month, reo Maori translations & amazing reo Maori 'Man I Need' cover by "Jordyn With A Why"

    Aloha! Tena tatou e te whanau whanui! Our whanaunga, our tuakana, are celebrating Hawaiian language month so I thought i'd do my little bit to hapai the kaupapa too. I've been learning the olelo for just over 2.5 years now, and I thought it would be nice to share a purakau from one of the books I have. I've done it line by line, olelo, then te reo (I've tried to get the reo as close to the olelo, so the reo may sound slightly odd), that way it still lines up with the take of this podcast. This korero comes from He Mau Ka'ao Hawai'i - Folktales of Hawaii, by Mary Kawena Pukui, with Laura C.S. Green. Enjoy! Mahalo! Also, I came across an awesome reo maori cover of Olivia Dean's - Man I Need sung by the talented Jordynwitha_why (She gave the ka pai to play her song on this podcast btw. Check her insta out: @jordynwitha_why) I enjoyed this cover so much that I thought I'd do a little wetereo on the lyrics. I'm only going off my own knowledge of the reo, so the breakdown is only based of my own interpretation. Each kaiwaiata has there own whakaaro on how they construct waiata in the reo, so these are purely my own views. (Maori) Man I Need - Olivia Dean Cover: Jordyn With A Why Ko koe, ko au, na, ko au ko koe. maana kua hurihia nga tai, no reira kaua ra e whererei, me korero e whekori ai, kua mohio, te taea te karo, kia pono mai, kua tuku ke i taaku e ohio nei, kia piri mai e taku hei tawhiri, taria e haereere (ka) nanawe, ina ka reia mai ki te atapo, warea ke ana au, ki o tapore, kia piri mai ra e taku hei tawhiri, takiri, takiri, takiri, Kane a me Ku | Tane raua ko Tu He kaao keia no kekahi elemakule o Hilo i ke au kahiko loa. He purakau tenei mo tetahi koroheke o Hilo i te ao tahito rawa. He kanaka ia i hoomaopopo mau i kona mau akua, ia Kane a me Tu. He tangata ia i whakapono, i pumau, ki ona atua, ki a Tane raua ko Tu. I kona ala ana i kakahiaka, olelo aela ia, "E Kane e, e Ku e, ua ala au!" I tona aranga i te ata haeata, korero ake ra ia, "E Tane e, e Tu e, kua ara au!" A i ka wa ona e hoomo'a ai i kana wahi mea e pa'ina ai, hea akula ia "E Kane, e Ku, e hoomo'a ana au i kuu mea ai." A, i te wa ona, e whakamaoa ai i tana mea kai, mea atu ra ia, "E Tane, e Tu, e whakamaoa ana au i taku mea kai." A i ka mo'a ana, kono akula oia ia laua, me ka i ana, "E Kane e, e Ku e, ua mo'a ka ai, a e ai ana au, mai kakou e pa'ina!" A, i te maonga, tono atu ra ia ki a raua, me te kianga, "E Tane e, e Tu e, kua maoa te kai, a, e kai ana au, haramai, tatou e kai!" A hiki i ka wa e ma'ona ai, olelo hou aela no ia, "E Kane e, e Ku e, ua ma'ona au!" Ka tae ki te wa e makona ai, korero ano ake ra ia, "E Tane e, e Tu, kua makona au!" Kii aela ia i ka o'o no ka hele ana e mahi i kana mala uala, hea hou akula no oia i ua mau akua nei, "E Kane, e Ku, e hele ana au e mahi ai. E hele pu kakou." Tiki ake ra ia i te ko mo te haerenga, hei mahi i tana mara kumara, korero ano atu ra ia ki aua atua nei, "E Tane, e Tu, e haere ana au e mahi kai. E haere pu tatou." Peia o ia i hea mau ai i kona mau akua i na mea apau ana i hana'i. Penei a ia i hotehote ai ki ona atua i nga mea katoa i mahi ai. I kekahi la, hele aku nei o ia me kekahi mau hoa i kahatai no ka lawe i'a. I tetahi ra, haere atu nei a ia me etahi hoa ki tahatai mo te hao ika (te take.) Hihia iho nei ka upena i kekahi ako'ako'a i loko o ke kai. Porowhiwhia iho nei te kupenga i tetahi akau i roto o te tai. Hea ae nei o ia i a Kane a me Ku me ka i ana, "E luu ana au e wehe i ka upena," a luu akula. Mea ake nei a ia ki a Tane raua ko Tu, me te kianga, "E ruku ana au e wehe i te kupenga" a ruku atu ra. Kakali aku nei kona mau hoa no ke aea ae, aole nae i oili mai ua elemakule nei. Tatari atu nei ona hoa mo te aea ake, kaore i hoki mai taua koroheke nei. No laila i manao ai lakou ua make, a ho'i akula e hai i ka ohana, ua make ka elemakule i loko o ke kai. No reira, i whakaaro ai ratou, kua mate, a hoki atu ra e whaki ki te whanau, kua mate te koroheke i roto o te tai. I ua elemakule nei i luu aku ai, nalowale aela ua ako'ako'a nei, me ka upena, a kau aela o ia i luna o kekahi aina maikai. I taua koroheke nei i ruku atu ai, ngaro rawa ake ra taua akau nei, me te kupenga, a tau ake ra a ia i runga o tetahi kainga maitai. I ihola ia, "E Kane, e Ku, nani maoli keia aina! E imi ana au i na kamaaina o keia wahi." Ki iho ra ia, "E Tane, e Tu, ataahua rirerire tenei kainga! E kimi ana au i nga tangata whenua o tenei wahi." Hele aela o ia a ike akula i kekahi hale pili e ku ana, a lohe aku nei o ia i ka leo e hea mai ana i a ia e hele aku. Haere ake ra a ia, a, kite atu ra i tetahi wharepuni e tu ana, ka rongo atu nei a ia i te reo e karanga mai ana ki a ia e haere atu. Auau akula o ia me ka olioli, a olelo aela ia "E Kane, e Ku, ke hea maila kamaaina iau, a e hele ana au i laila!" Horohoro atu ra a ia, me te harihari, a, korero ake ra ia "E Tane, e Tu, kei te karanga mai ra -a tangata whenua- ki au, a, e haere ana au ki reira!" I kona puka ana i ka hale, ike akula ia he elua mau elemakule. I tona putanga ki ro whare, kite atu ra ia he koroheke. Tokorua nei. Hookipa ia o ia me ka maikai. Powhiritia ia, me te ngahau. Moe ihola ia i laila i kela po. Moe iho ra ia i reira i tenei po. I ke ao ana ae, i maila kekahi elemakule i a ia, "Ea, ua lohe mau maua i kou hea mau i ko maua inoa. Owau no o Kane, a o keia o Ku. I te aonga ake, ki mai ra tetahi koroheke ki a ia, "Ea, kua rongo maua i to karanga pumau i to maua ingoa. Ko wau ano a Tane, a, ko tenei, ko Tu. Ke mahalo nei maua i kou hea ole ia maua i kou hele ana i hoopau pilikia. aka, e puka mau ana ko maua inoa no na mea apau, a ua uluhua no hoi maua. Kia mihia nei maua, kaua e tuku mihi mai, kei mimi ana. Heoi, puta mai ana (i to mangai) to maua ingoa mo nga mea katoa, a, kua hoha ano hoki maua. No laila, maua i lawe mai ai ia oe e ao aku ai maua. No reira, maua i kawe mai ai koe e whakaako atu ai i a maua. Ala oe, hoomanao, a ke pilikia, hea mai, a ke moe, noonoo mai. Ara koe, whakamoemiti, a, ko te raruraru, karanga mai, a, ko te moe, whakaaroaro mai. O hoi, a ka wa pono, kii aku maua ia oe." O hoki, a, i te wa tika, tiki atu maua i a koe." Hoihoi ia maila ua kanaka nei i kona wahi pono'i. Hokihokia mai ra taua tangata nei ki tona wahi tuturu. Olioli na makamaka i ka ike hou ana i kona mau maka, a me ka lohe ana i ka aina nani ana i ike ai. Harihari nga matamata i te kitenga ano i tona mata, a, me te rongonga i te kainga ataahua i kite ai. Mau makahiki loihi ma hope mai, nalowale ua kanaka nei. Maha rawa nga tau i hipa mai, ngarongaro taua tangata nei. Ua olelo ia, ua hoi o ia e noho me kona mau akua, me Kane, a me Ku. Kua korerohia, kua hoki a ia. E noho me ona atua, me Tane, a, me Tu.

    22 min

  2. FEB 11 · VIDEO

    Personification and the genius of Te Reo Maori

    Tena tatou! This week I wanted to speak on some of the genius of te reo maori, and how useful I have found our use of personifying our environment and everyday phenomena has been in my own life. Whakatauki - Taringa muhu kai (Ears groping for food.) [Te Kohikohinga Whakatauki a Raupo, pg 9] Whakautu Patai - "Me kaua..." - Is this correct? No. This is incorrect. Te Whanau Wiremu has this to say: [A Dictionary of the Maori Language, pg xviii] "Weak (Hortatory or Deliberative.) Me karanga ia. - He had better call; let him call. (Not used in the negative.)" if you want to express the idea of something that should not be done. Below is a great example from the Maori Newspaper The Maori Messenger. Te Karere Maori (1855-61) (MM.TKM 3-4/1855) [Te Aka, example 2] "Kaua koe e whakaae kia whai mana i a koe ngā tāngata whakaaro kore, engari, kei ngā tāngata whakaaro, kei ngā tāngata e arotau ana ki tō mātou reo (MM.TKM 3-4/1855:9). / Do not let thoughtless people be in power, but people of thought, people who look kindly on our language." Wetereo: "Idiomatically, common nouns can be personified, that is, treated as if they were people" "Kua rongo maua ko taringa. Kua puta a Pito." [A Maori Reference Grammar, pg 34] "Te Paki o Hewa" [Kohikohinga Whakatauki a Raupo, pg 10]

    16 min

  3. FEB 4 · VIDEO

    Did you know Tangaroa and Papatuanuku were lovers?

    Kia ora ano tatou! This week I came across a really short excerpt regarding a korero of Tangaroa and Papatuanuku being lovers. I had known of this story beforehand however it is always nice finding references to korero. You can find the korero here: Transactions and proceedings of the New Zealand Institute. pg. 31. If you are interested in atua maori, an easy place to find the source material is this website. Its good for just thinking of an atua/kaitiaki that you want to know more about, and it provides reading material for you. Pantheon Whakatauki - Te Papa No Rotu. [Te Kohikohinga Whakatauki a Raupo. pg. 117]

    10 min

  4. JAN 28

    Is it "horoia o ringaringa", or "horoi o ringaringa?" - The answer might surprise you.

    Kia ora ki a tatou! I know I have spoken on this topic before, but it's something that i come across often enough that I wanted to touch on it again. My personal goal is to strive to speak the reo which was spoken by our tupuna (obviously not completely possible, but I want it to be as close as can be). I want my reo maori to be reo maori, rather than english masked as maori. Olelo Hawaii language advocate Keao NeSmith addresses similar concerns in the olelo. Timestamp is 33 minute mark here in an interview on Keep it Aloha. Keao also delves into this topic in an interview on Ka Alala here. whakatauki - E kore e kitea he toki huna. [Kohikohinga whakatauki a Raupo, pg 25] Is it horoia o ringaringa, or horoi o ringaringa? horoi vs horoia: key differences [https://upokopakaru.wordpress.com/2012/09/13/how-to-wash-your-hands/] "Me tino whakamākū ngā makawe ki te wai, ā ka hopi: horoia kia kore he hopi i roto i ngā makawe (TTT 1/4/1923:2). / Thoroughly wet the hair with water and then lather it up with soap: rinse it so that there's no soap left in the hair": horoia - However if you look at the source material, you can see that the article is aimed towards parents washing their children's hair, as opposed to the children washing their own hair [https://maoridictionary.co.nz/word/1438 (example 1)] [https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/periodicals/TOATAK19230401.2.3] Commands to someone regarding themselves:[Ray Harlow, A Maori Reference Grammar, pg 196] Ray Harlow has this to say - "An exception to the rule that transitive verbs with oject use the passive for commands is found in sentences with a reflexive object, where the patient of the action is the same person/people as the subject. in this case, the passive suffix is not used and the oject is marked with i: Whakapaipai i a koe! - Make yourself look pretty! Horoi i a koutou! - Wash yourselves! He also has this to say: "A fourth construction is used for commands that some action should be performed by some part of the body. These commands are more like instructions to the particular body part, which is the subject and follws the verb without any suffix or particle: Hamama tou waha! - Speak, open your mouth! Takahi tou wae! - Stamp your foot! Toro mai o ringa! - Stretch out your hand! Williams also agrees with the above statement with examples as follows: [W.L. Williams, H.W.Williams, 9th edition, First Lessons in Maori, pg 85.] Titiro ou kanohi - Open your eyes. Hamama tou waha - Open your mouth. Totoro tou ringaringa - Stretch out your hand. Hupeke tou waewae - Bend your leg.

    12 min

  5. JAN 21 · VIDEO

    Maori x Hawaiian - Harry Potter: Language Comparison and Similarities

    Kia ora! I'm excited for todays episode. I thought I would do a language comparison of Te Reo Maori and Olelo Kanaka. Do excuse my olelo pronunciation. I'm still working on improving it, as I definitely sound like a Maori speaking Hawaiian haha. Enjoy! Olelo Kanaka: Mokuna Ekahi - Ke Keiki i Pakele Reo Maori: Te Wahanga Tuatahi - Te Tama i Ora tonu Olelo Kanaka: Ua ha'aheo o Mr laua o Mrs Durley o Helu Eha, Ala Pilikino, i ka ha'i aku he po'e ma'amau no laua, mahalo nui loa. Reo Maori: Whakahi ana a Mita raua ko Miha Tuhiri, no te kainga tuawha i te Ara o Piriweti, ki te ki he tino maori noa iho nei raua - kia mohio mai koe. Olelo Kanaka: Aohe loa ou mahu'i he komo laua i ka hana ano 'e a hookahaha paha, no ka mea, aohe loa o laua pili aku me kela ano. Reo Maori: Ko raua hoki tetahi tokorua e tino kore nei e uru ki nga ahuatanga e koroke ana ranei, e porehu ana ranei, na te mea kaore raua e paku pai ana ki aua hanga heahea. Breakdown: Olelo Kanaka: Mokuna - This is related to our kupu maori Motunga. Ua - Kua in the reo. Haaheo - Whakahihi, whakahi, pohokereru all these types of words in maori. laua o - raua ko. This one is very similar, basically the same, it works exactly the same too. ha'i - whaki. Basically has the same vibe as the reo maori counterpart. po'e - In the reo we have many words of this nature, hunga, kapa, kahui, tira, whakaminenga, minenga, marea, it's the same vibe. hana - mahi. ano 'e - whano ke. Pretty sure the maori word is of the same nature, 'e is ke in maori, but ano has loads of meanings in the olelo. ano - I thought I'd list out a few meanings that ano holds in the olelo which it has, but I give the maori counterpart: kano/kakanomomoahuawhanoke (only in the ano 'e usage though -- I think)take/raru (Olelo would say something like 'He aha kou ano?' Maori being - 'He aha to take?/ He aha to raru?) If you are keen to learn more about the Olelo Kanaka. These are the resources I used to teach myself. Clinton Kanahele CollectionWehewehe.orghawaiian-grammar.orgKa AlalaKanaeokana

    16 min

  6. JAN 14 · VIDEO

    Speaking the reo - How to give extra info in your sentences

    Kia ora! This week I wanted to speak on something that I still mess-up often on. Apposition's, Kianga Whakamarama, Firstly, what purpose does a kianga whakamarama serve? Well, per the kupu, it elaborates and gives further information to a sentence. In English, Ray Harlow [A Maori Reference Grammar, pg. 166] gives the below example to show us that it is the second phrase which gives the extra detail to the first phrase. "Dr Hohepa, the Maori Language Commissioner, addressed the conference." In the reo, it is similar, but the difference is that we repeat the preposition. "ki a taua, ki te Maori, he mea nui tenei." (Karetu 1974:51) "Ko tenei manu, ko te kotuku, me uaua ke ka kitea." (Karetu 1974:51) Wetereo: Kianga whakamarama Noho raupapa ai nga kianga, penei i te kianga puhono, i te kianga tuingoa, kia whakamaramatia ai te tuatahi e te tuarua. Ma te reo maori nei, ka noho hangai ko tera kianga ko tera kianga, takoto ngatahi ai, a, ko te puhono ia, e whakaruatia. whakatauki - Hei aha ma te rora? What purpose does being cowardly serve you? [Te Kohikohinga Whakatauki a Raupo, pg. 28]

    7 min

  7. JAN 7 · VIDEO

    First time meetups - Conversation topics in Te Reo Maori

    Kia ora! I love this time of year. I'm definitely that type that gets excited for new year, new goals, new aspirations and so I thought a good topic to speak on would be some conversation starters in Te Reo. I've grouped it by category, hopefully these are helpful. whakatauki - E hoa ma, ina te ora o te tangata. [Te kohikohinga whakatauki a Raupo pg. 56] - Maori rawa ake i te mea "kia makona, ara bon appetit" wetereo - ranei [https://maoridictionary.co.nz/word/6466] nunui ana tikanga, a ko ta tatou, ko te tuarima e ai ki Te Aka, ara "Te whakamohiohio atu ki te maha o nga kowhiringa, me te mea hoki, horekau ke kotahi noa iho te whakautu. Ka tuaruatia anoki. He Minamina, He Ratarata [Interests, Hobbies] Ki te whakata ana koe, he pewhea koia kia manawareka pai ai ki a koe ake? [Whenever you take a break, whats your go to way to enjoy it, in your opinion?] Manakonako ranei koe ki tetahi ahuatanga hou? Tena, whakina mai. [Do you have any keen interests you've yet to experience? Please, do share.] E rata pai ana koe ki nga waiata aha, ki nga whakaata aha, ki aha atu ranei ki aha atu ranei? [Do you have songs you like? movies you like? Or anything of that sort?] Me he manu rere koe, ko whea atu koe e rere ai? [If you were a bird, what is the name of a place you would fly to?] He pukapuka ranei e tino mau ki roto ki a koe? [Is there a book which has really stuck with you?] Ko Nga Ritenga, Ko Nga Tikanga. [Daily Life and Preferences] ko te ata ranei, ko te po ranei? [Are you a morning person, or a night owl?] Ko ta te whakatauki nei, mahau anake te kai pai, a he aha ia te kai pai ki a koe? [Based on this proveb, "Only the best food for you", what in fact are the "best" foods, in your opinion?] He mokai ranei aau? [Do you have any pets?] He aha aau kia rongo mauritau ai koe? [What do you do to unwind and relax?] He Atawhakaaro, He Hokinga Mahara. [Contemplation and Reflection] He wheako ranei nou i tino huhua ke noa atu ai te whaioranga ki a koe? [Have you had any experiences which were completely life-changing for you?] He taumahatanga ranei kua whakatupu tangata pai koe i rangona ai e koe? [Have you had any hardships which you feel have made you a better person?] Maro tonu to pumau ki tewhea tikanga ranei, ki tewhea ritenga ranei, ki tewhea ahuatanga ranei? [Do you have any firm point of views, beliefs, or anything of that nature?] Nonaia tonu nei ranei nga paparinga i menemene mai ai? A, na te aha hoki? [Recently has your cheeks hurt from smiling and laughing? If so, what from?] He Pohewa Parekareka [Fun and Hypothetical] Mena he kurahuna nou, he kurahuna aha nou? [If you had a superpower, what type of superpower would you have?] He whakamanu ranei, he whakakuri ranei, a he kararehe aha atu ranei, hei mangai mo Tamaroto? [Bird transformation, dog transformation or some other animal, which one would aaccurately reflect your inner self?] Kua whanoke rawa atu ranei tetahi o ou moemoea. Tena, whakina mai? [Experienced any funny/strange dreams? Please do share.]

    18 min

  8. 12/31/2025

    New Year, New You - How to start learning maori in the New Year

    Kia ora! Since it is the new year, I thought I'd change up the format, we will still have a whakatauki, then I thought I'd share my thoughts on language acquisition, and answer some common questions that pop up, and share some person experiences. Whakatauki - E tia, me te wheke e pupuru ana. [Te Kohikohinga Whakatauki a Raupo, pg. 54] - regular exposure is the key. - focus on the sound of the language. - track your time spent exposed to the language. - the only resources you need are: something to listen to something to track your exposure Te Wiremu Maori Dictionary - when trying to express yourself in the reo, ask: 'how would I express this if I had no knowledge of English?' - common questions, thoughts, and concerns: question - how long will it take to become fluent? answer - It's better to change your perspective, ask instead 'how long will it take to express myself in the reo?' This answer gives your the flexibility to build upon your experience. If you have no knowledge of the reo expressing yourself could be as simple as 'Matekai au' - I'm hungry, 'Kei te ako au.' - I'm learning. question - should I buy a reo maori course? answer - A course gives you the opportunity to be held accountable, be part of a community of like-minded individuals pursuing a similar goal, and access to someone that is more knowledgeable in the reo than you are that can act as a source of help for you. A course isnt necessary but if you are the type of person that feels will benefit doing a course, then go with what you think is best. question - What books should I use? I hear the Scotty Morrison books are good for beginners? answer - You can purchase and use any books you like if you think it will be beneficial. My outlook is that we are all naturally lazy, the less things we need to do, the less friction there is, the less thinking involved the more likely we are to continue with it. The reason why I recommend Te Wiremu Maori Dictionary as the sole book of study is that it is free, fairly easy to navigate, has a nice structure - it has a word, gives a definition, and has an example sentence (though not all the time). It's also a good resource to just browse the book, to increase your time exposed to the language. question - Should I learn my pepeha? answer - It's up to you really. Pepeha is a means to draw connections between you and the people you are encountering. It's finding a common ancestor, iwi, waka etc to whakawhaunga with each other. If you want to pepeha, then the general format is: maunga, awa, waka, iwi, marae, whanau, you. question - I live overseas. How can I learn the reo when nobody around me speaks it or even knows about it? answer - Kia ora! We are in the same waka. I've lived overseas, and continue to do so. 6 years ago I decided I would start my journey to improve my reo. I followed the above steps and have reached the point I am at in my life now. question - I don't agree with the commercialisation or productisation of our reo maori, we shouldn't have to purchase our language after it was forcefully taken away from our ancestors. answer - We have all felt the effects of past injustices, and continue to feel them today. Let me ask this, "Will you start today reclaiming your own reo maori?" You don't need a course to help you reclaim your reo maori, you don't even need to pay anything. You can reach the level I am at doing the same things I did. Regular exposure to the reo, and consistency. I'm 6 years in, and I'm excited to see where I will be in another 6 years. Play the long game. question - Wouldn't my time be better spent learning a more "beneficial" language? answer - Define 'beneficial'?, define which language you think would be better to spend your time on? Now ask yourself "Why have I not starting learning it?, Will I start today?" Ultimately, you do you. Don't rely on what you think you 'should' do. question - What listening content do you recommend? answer - Ideally you want to listen to the same few things. When it starts to feel boring, or tedious, switch to something else. Revisiting things feels like magic too. Often times when you come back to something, you'll notice that you understand a lot more than the last time. But to directly answer your question, here is what I listen to: A Maori Podcast (Since it's completely in the reo, it fits what I look for. It also gives me a chance to review myself as a 'listener'. I pick up on a lot of errors I make, better ways to phrase things, tone, rhythm, cadence, etc.) Radio Kahungunu Archives. News - Te Karere, Aukaha, Tahu News. Taringa - (Mainly bilingual though. Kupu kupu kupu is my favourite series.) question - I'm not Maori, and I feel awkward learning the reo, how do I deal with this? answer - I felt similar when I first started learning Hawaiian. If you can find yourself some friends that are maori, reo speakers, and encouraging that will help you a lot with this feeling. That's how I dealt with it in regards to Hawaiian. question - I don't have time to learn the reo, but I really want to. answer - If you change your perspective from 'learn the reo' to 'listen to the reo' then you can create a time, and space for yourself where your are immersed in the language, without feeling the pressure of needing to 'learn' the reo. question - I have had bad experiences learning the reo, and it really shook my confidence. How do I deal with that? answer - A few months ago I had an unpleasant experience with the reo. I was participating in an online reo roopu, someone asked a question regarding the reo, and some structure. I answered it based on my own experiences, and someone else in the group went to town hurling abuse at me saying that I'm not welcome, and I should piss off, this group is for beginners. Even now it still hurts when I recall it. My advice, there will always be people that become hostile and make you feel small, if you can remove yourself from those situations, limit any interaction with people like that. Your attention is precious, and it is better spent on things that make you feel good, excited, motivated and encouraged. question - I feel like I'm less Maori than others around me. I like the resurgence of maoritanga, and the reo, but at the same time I find it discouraging because I feel like I can never reach that point. How do I deal with this feeling? answer - Comparing ourselves to others is never helpful. If you feel that you must compare yourself, compare it to a previous version of yourself. If you continue feeling less Maori, limit the amount of time you spend online consuming content. Social media skewers reality, we always see an idealised version of reality, what we don't see is the 100s of hours put into a skill, the opportunities someone had, the environment the were in which help to cultivate their reo. If this feeling continues to hang around, try change your perspective, this feeling can be a way for you to help others that feel the same way. question - Why dont you have transcripts, or English translations, or videos on A Maori Podcast? answer - A few reasons: Transcripts - It's time consuming. I can have it auto transcribed, but it still needs manual editing. I could pay for a service such as kaituhi, but it's an additional cost that isn't a necessity at this point in time. I may also need to manually edit afterwards too. I'm hesitant because I know I still make many mistakes while speaking the reo, when it is in its written form, sometimes it can give off the vibe of "It's written down, so it must be correct." I don't tend to put potae/tohuto on my words. I personally feel it is distracting, and it throws off the cadence and rhythm of the spoken word. English translations - again, time consuming, matching up the subtitles with the reo etc. Also, I feel that english translation can become crutch that stifles progress. Videos - again, time consuming, I also don't have any video editing skills. Even it I were to make shorts/reels, it still takes time, which I find is not a necessity at this point in time. question - What benefits can I expect from learning Maori? answer - Personally in my own experience, I've had a few financial opportunities with my reo maori skills. I've been paid for translation services, cultural advising, and running reo maori courses. Other beneficial experiences I've had include, feeling closer to my culture while living abroad, having the knowledge that I can speak the language of my ancestors, being able read maori newspapers from the mid 1800s. Being asked to lead reo Wananga in London. Making friends from all over the world. Reo maori has also given me an understanding of language acquisition. I've now picked up Hawaiian after 2.5 years. I can converse basically in Hawaiian, on most topics indefinitely. I still have a long way to go, but I'm happy with the progress I am making. I've recently started learning Brazilian Portuguese. Learning/improving my reo maori has given me the confidence to learn additional languages. I have found that learning a language gives you an insight into how others see the world. It can also help you put yourself in other peoples shoes.

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About

Kia ora! Welcome to this podcast! As per the title, it's a Maori podcast and I am Maori. I try to keep the podcast completely in Te Reo, this is mainly because I want to improve my own language skills, and the best way to do it is to completely speak the language. I share my insights into learning and improving my reo Maori skills especially as someone that doesn't reside back in the homeland. Hoi ano, nahaku noa, I hope that you enjoy this mahi, and I'm proud to be Maori and to share our language. Ko te reo kia rere! If you live abroad and need a place to hang out, I finally found a great hangout spot filled with Maori speakers here. Discord - Reo Maori I also have a Patreon where I hope to add some additional value. You can find me here:https://patreon.com/amaoripodcast

Information

  • Creator
    Ihira
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    59
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 A Maori Podcast
  • Show Website
    A Maori Podcast