More than 170,000 Māori currently live across the ditch, and as demand for Te Reo Māori classes grows, institutes like Te Wānanga o Aotearoa (TWOA) are launching new courses to meet the need.
The Bond family from Ngāti Maniapoto has three generations living in rural Queensland. Baylee, who is in the second generation, says she has felt disconnected.
“I came over here at 14. I wasn’t that immersed in all of it prior to coming here, and I haven’t really been that connected since being here. And now I think having a daughter who is Australian and being around Australians all the time, I do feel like I’ve kind of lost that connection to it,” says Baylee.
Having lived in Australia for more than 10 years, five members of their whānau have now joined Māori across the country, taking part in TWOA’s new six-week course called iREO. Mother and grandmother, Carmen Bond, says classes online or in their area have been hard to come by.
“I haven’t seen any Australian-based. I’ve seen a lot where they’re New Zealand-based, depending on your iwi, different iwi are providing different things. That’s all I’ve seen,” says Carmen.
Carmen grew up in Aotearoa, involved with her marae and culture, but says being away has taken a hit to her confidence.
“I think previously, if I was honest and I thought about joining a programme that was in New Zealand, that was in Aotearoa, that I was probably a little bit whakamā around thinking ‘they’ll know more than me’, ‘maybe it’s not the right group’, ‘maybe it’s not at the right pace for me’, and just feeling that maybe it wasn’t the right thing” says Carmen.
Tupu Ora Manager for Resource and Cultural Development, Tiare Teinakore, echoes this sentiment, saying that Māori living abroad face barriers like judgment.
“Tātou te hunga waimarie e pēpēhi ana, e takatakahi ana i a tātou anō, ki te ako i te reo, e whakaaro ana, oh, kāo, me hoki mai tērā tangata, me hoki mai rātou ki te kāinga ki te ako, e kāo! Kāhore. He tikanga, he take e motuhenga ana ērā take kei reira rātou e noho ana, kei tawhiti e noho ana.” says Teinakore.
She says, despite troubles, the desire for the language and tikanga has grown stronger because of the isolation, and that effort should be continued to reach out and provide services.
“Ki ahau nei, e whakapono ana ahau ko te ora o te reo kei roto i te ora o te tangata. Ahakoa te wāhi noho o tērā tangata. Kei Ahitereiria, kei Amerika, kei whea atu rānei? Ko te ora o tō tātou reo kei roto i te tangata. Nō reira, mehemea kei reira te nui o te iwi e noho ana, Tēnā, me haere atu tātou ki reira ki te āwhina i tērā hunga e rongo tonu ai rātou i tō rātou reo e... rongo tonu ai rātou i a rātou tikanga e noho haumaru tonu ai rātou ahakoa kei whea rātou i te ao” says Teinakore.
iReo has three courses that focus on subjects such as pepeha, introductions and pronunciation. Unlike the free courses that are New Zealand-based, Australians will have to pay a fee of $325-$350 NZD.
Carmen Bond says that it is worth it.
“I think if you’re ready and it’s your time, you’ll find the affordability”, says Carmen.
“It’s going to be fun. I can’t wait...For me, it’s just, I guess, a relearning of what I already know”.
TWOA has reported at least 100 people that have expressed interest so far with hopes to extend to the UK in 2027.
