Ngatiroirangi Peipi

For Ngatiroirangi Peipi, the journey into te reo Māori began with a moment of inspiration.

After watching a documentary about the Battle of Rangiriri, he felt compelled to visit the site himself. Standing there, surrounded by history, something shifted.

“I felt an overwhelming urge to revitalise our reo and culture,” he says. “The very next day, I went and applied to study te reo Māori at Toi Ohomai.”

That decision marked the beginning of what he describes as a transformative journey.

Ngatiroirangi has since progressed through Levels 2, 3, and now Level 4, describing his experience as nothing short of “amazing”. Along the way, he’s found more than just knowledge, he’s found connection.

“I’ve been lucky enough to have the best teachers who supported me every step of the way,” he says. “Without them, I would’ve never found the spark to match my fire.”

But it wasn’t qualifications that kept him coming back.

“E kī ana te kōrero, ‘Ko te kai a te rangatira, he kōrero’,” he says. “My heart never yearned for certificates or graduations, but instead for a safe place I could go every week to strengthen my conversational reo.”

For Ngatiroirangi, the true value has been in community and shared learning with like-minded people. There have been memorable milestones along the way. One that stands out vividly was a pōhiri he attended during his second year.

“For the first time, I actually understood what was being said. That moment, that ‘penny drop’ is something I’ll never forget.”
Like many ākonga, the journey hasn’t been without its challenges. Outside of class, finding opportunities to practise can be difficult.

“We go to class for three hours a week, which is amazing but the rest of the week can be a struggle if you don’t have people to speak Māori with.”

Despite this, Ngatiroirangi has developed strategies to keep his reo alive, often speaking in Māori first before switching to English in everyday conversations. What he has gained, he says, far outweighs any challenges.

“Learning te reo Māori has given me the confidence to speak in public spaces,” he says. “I marvel at the feats of our ancestors and stand strong knowing they did way too much for me to just drop the ball now.”

His connection to Toi Ohomai runs deep. Long before enrolling as a student, as a child he visited Tangatarua Marae and remembers feeling a strong sense of belonging.

“I always imagined I’d be back there someday I just didn’t know what for.”

Now, that connection feels like it has come full circle. At Toi Ohomai, Ngatiroirangi has found an environment where he thrives.

“I was never the best student growing up and often felt behind,” he says. “But here, with the support of my teachers, I achieve everything I put my mind to. My desire to make them proud far outweighs my fear of failure.”

Beyond skills and confidence, te reo Māori has had a deeper personal impact.

“It means the world to me. It’s hard to put into words, but I feel like our reo and culture filled a hole inside of me that I never knew existed.”

Looking ahead, Ngatiroirangi hopes to give back.

“I would love to teach our beautiful language and culture to those who are hungry to learn. I’ve had amazing role models, and it would be an honour to follow in their footsteps.”

His message to others considering taking the leap is simple.

“Just send it! We only live once, let’s make it a worthwhile one. Learning te reo Māori is a long, hard journey, and you won’t master it overnight. But be kind to yourself. If you’re going to be your own harshest critic, you also need to be your own best supporter.”