Can you tell us about you te reo journey?

My te reo journey started out of a desire to understand what it means to be a modern New Zealander. Like many kiwis, I had some exposure to Māori culture growing up, learning haka with my rugby teammates, the odd noho marae, playing with rākau sticks, and (admittedly tone-deaf) waiata at primary school. 

However, as I grew, I felt a growing appreciation for the lessons the Māori world could teach me, and how much the values aligned with my own. I also felt an increasing recognition we all had to do our bit, Pākehā included, to protect the taonga that make New Zealand unique.

These feelings prompted me to pursue formal study in te reo Māori, firstly at Te Wānanga o Raukawa, and in the future at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa. I am by no means perfect, and still consider myself very early in my reo journey, but I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience to date. 

It’s impossible to separate the language from culture, and so my study has also been interwoven with lessons on history, values, and tradition that speak to the importance and relevance of te reo and mātauranga Māori in New Zealand society.

What's been most valuable (and most challenging) for you during your journey? 

As a Pākehā bloke, it can be challenging to walk the line between genuine pursuit of understanding, and cultural appropriation. 

However, I am given confidence by the sentiment that te reo is for all New Zealanders, and hope that my efforts can proactively contribute to the normalisation and revitalisation of te reo across the motu.

What other lessons have you taken away with you? 

One of the most striking differences that I’ve grown to appreciate, is the timescale applied when looking at the world through the lens of Te Ao Māori. It is not unusual to strive for outcomes across generations, as opposed to the much shorter reporting cycles we may be used to. This prioritisation of the long term is inherently self-less, as often we will not be around to see the end product of our actions, and is a valuable perspective to consider when facing challenges large and small.

This mindset is important when considering the past also. My te reo journey has also prompted me to learn about my own whakapapa, tūrangawaewae, and the story of the whenua upon which we live, work and play. 

I believe that through increased understanding of the way our society, nation and world came to be, we can better inform the decisions we make, and the future we aspire to create.

How has your te reo journey influenced your role as an engineer?

As an engineer, I know that we design for everyone, not just people that look, act and think like me. Inclusion of Māori perspectives and values is not just increasingly important to our client organisations, but to Aotearoa New Zealand as a whole.

I get a warm feeling every time I see Māori elements interwoven in a design going out the door, and I can only imagine what it means to tangata whenua as they engage with and explore the environments we create.

Any words of advice for others looking to learn Te Reo? 

I am inspired by the work of Anton Matthews. Cantabrians will know Anton as the guy from the fish and chip restaurant who has become a champion for the normalisation of te reo in Aotearoa.

His casual demeanour and relatable speaking style helps many hurdle that initial reluctance barrier, and start their own te reo journey. Anton spoke at a recent celebration we had for Matariki in the WSP Ōtautahi office, and it was amazing to see the enthusiasm emanating from the room that day. Anecdotally, the frequency of “Kia ora” greetings in the mornings seemed to go up ten-fold too!

How about a song?

I won’t subject you to my singing, but I would like to share a common whakatauki that resonates with me, “Nāku te rourou, nāu te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi”, or “With your food basket, and my food basket, the people will thrive. This whakatauki speaks to the value of contribution and collaboration, and how the best outcomes result when we work together. A fitting metaphor given the work we do at WSP.

Ka mihi nui ki WSP for accepting the challenge and encouraging this kōrero. I look forward to being part of this ongoing journey. I will always encourage anyone who is interested to further their own understanding and knowledge of te reo, and know they, and the country, will be better for it.