Kerikeri’s efforts to becoming one of Aotearoa’s leading bilingual towns is gaining momentum, with more businesses and community groups committing to normalising te reo Māori in everyday life.
Street signs and shopfront greetings make the language shift easy to see, but what’s less visible is the impact the revitalisation of te reo Māori will have on the overall health and wellbeing of its communities.
It wasn’t too long ago, little more than a century and a half, when te reo Māori was the universal language of Aotearoa. Before 1840, the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, virtually the entire population spoke te reo Māori, with English only heard among a small circle of traders, missionaries, and settlers.
Māori communities maintained robust systems that protected health and sustained wellbeing. Whānau lived close to the whenua with diets rich in kaimoana, cultivated vegetables, and native plants. Seasonal food gathering, communal gardens, and daily physical activity kept people well nourished, while karakia, waiata, and wānanga supported mental and spiritual balance.
Language was central to these systems. Te reo Māori carried the knowledge of rongoā, maramataka and tikanga that governed clean water, food safety, and collective care. Speaking the language meant passing on practices that prevented chronic conditions long before such terms existed and guidance on diet, exercise, rest, and relationships was embedded in every whakataukī and whaikōrero.
Today, Te Tai Tokerau faces significant health challenges. Chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes are prevalent, disproportionately affecting Māori communities. In Northland, Māori experience higher rates of heart disease compared to the national average. Additionally, mental health issues are a growing concern, with depression being a leading cause of hospitalisations among Māori youth in the region.
Lead Systems Innovator of Healthy Families Far North, Tawhi Tua says language and health go hand-in-hand.
“The health and wellbeing of te reo Māori is a true indicator for the health and wellbeing of our people,” she says.
“When te reo Māori was suppressed and land taken, our protective networks weakened. We know that communities with a strong connection to their indigenous language report lower rates of depression, addiction, chronic illness… so revitalising te reo Māori is crucial to revitalising the health of our communities here in the Far North.”
Ngāti Rēhia leading the way with Te Rauora strategy
Ngāti Rēhia are putting the connection between language and wellbeing into practice through Te Rauora, their reo Māori revitalisation strategy. The strategy is in partnership with Far North District Council, supported by schools, businesses and the wider community.
The plan is more than a language initiative, but a commitment to restore te reo Māori as a living, everyday voice across the rohe that strengthens the health and identity of te ao Māori.
“For me, it helps to revitalise our language, to keep it alive,” says Ngāti Rēhia chair, Kipa Munro.
“So far the excitement from all the people we’ve been working with – it doesn’t feel imposed, but rather, they feel part of it; it belongs to them.”
Halvo Signs is one of the first local businesses to take part in the tailored bilingual business programme, working with Ngāti Rēhia to embed more te reo Māori in their day-to-day operations.
Owner operator, Paul Halvorson, says the initiative isn’t just about signage or greetings, but bringing te reo into the culture of workplaces and communities.
“It’s all very new, but very exciting. We’ve already created a whakataukī for our team and that was an awesome exercise to experience with our team,” he says.
“Te reo Māori is a big part of New Zealand culture. Even if people don’t whakapapa Māori, here in Kerikeri, a huge proportion of our customers do, so to converse in te reo Māori where we can, no matter how small, I think is a great thing to support and to do.”
Supporting Māori-led systems change
Healthy Families Far North is working alongside Ngāti Rēhia to support Te Rauora, providing resources and connections that compliment the leadership of tangata whenua. Tawhi Tua, who has whakapapa ties to Ngāti Rēhia, bringing both her personal connection and professional expertise to the kaupapa.
“Together we’re creating spaces where hapū and iwi can lead initiatives grounded in our own knowledge systems,” says Tua.
“We know a lot of the time Māori carry all the extra work that comes when driving projects like this, so my role is really to just provide practical support in a way that works for them.”
It’s not just about supporting a language, but strengthening the health and wellbeing of the whole community, she adds.
“Te reo Māori is what carries our knowledge, practices, and values that nurture whānau and support mental and physical health, so when we’re supporting the revitalisation of our language, we’re also building resilient communities across the rohe.”
Munro says Tua’s connection to Ngāti Rēhia means she understands the nuances and aspirations for Te Rauora.
“It’s always special when working with whānau,” he says.
“Tawhi has been invaluable to supporting us with this kaupapa. Of course, we want to help embed our language across our rohe, but that takes time and capacity, so she brings a resource side to our mahi.”
“It’s very rarely whānau get to work with whānau, but when we do, it’s priceless.”
When imagining a future where reo Māori is the primary language, Munro describes a place where everyone feels like they belong.
“I’m hopeful that this will be a place that is truly bilingual where the revitalisation of our language will also revitalise who we are and how we identify here in Te Kerikeri – a place where everyone not only feels, but knows that they belong.”
Keen to bring te reo Māori into your workplace?
From developing a simple reo Māori plan to supporting staff training so your business can confidently weave te reo into everyday practice, Ngāti Rēhia can support you on your journey. Every kupu you share and every sign you put up helps create environments where whānau feel valued, connected and well where supporting te reo Māori is also supporting healthier lives for everyone in our community. Check out the Te Rauora brochure [PDF, 4.8 MB] for more information, or email [email protected]