Polynesian ancestors reached Aotearoa in ocean-going waka. Over generations, distinct iwi and hapū developed relationships with the land, waters and one another.
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TE AO MĀORI · THE MĀORI WORLD
To live in Aotearoa is to learn with respect.
Māori are tangata whenua—the people of the land. Their language, knowledge, values and living cultures are fundamental to New Zealand. For an international student, understanding this is part of arriving well.
Begin the introduction ↓
He taonga te ahurea Māori.
OUR COMMITMENT
Respect must be visible in how we welcome people.
Sorena Visa is proud to work in Aotearoa New Zealand. We acknowledge Māori as tangata whenua and honour te reo Māori and tikanga Māori as living, contemporary parts of this country—not as decoration or a tourism theme.
Our role is to help newcomers approach the people and places of Aotearoa with humility, curiosity and care. We will keep this material human-reviewed and seek Māori guidance as it develops.
A SHORT, RESPONSIBLE HISTORY
Seven centuries of adaptation, loss, resistance and renewal.
This is an introduction, not a substitute for learning from mana whenua—the Māori people who hold authority and connection in the place where you live and study.
European contact began and later grew through trade, missions and settlement. New technologies and introduced disease brought profound change.
More than 500 Māori rangatira signed te Tiriti o Waitangi. Differences between the Māori and English texts, and Crown breaches, remain central to New Zealand’s history and public life.
War, confiscation and the operation of colonial land systems alienated large areas of Māori land and weakened language and institutions.
Māori-led protest, the Waitangi Tribunal, language revitalisation, kōhanga reo, kura kaupapa and cultural renewal reshaped Aotearoa.
Te ao Māori is living and diverse. Iwi, hapū, whānau, Māori educators, artists, businesses and communities continue to lead, innovate and shape the country.
VALUES YOU MAY ENCOUNTER
Words carry relationships—not just dictionary meanings.
Manaakitanga
Showing care, hospitality, generosity and respect in the way people are welcomed and supported.
Whanaungatanga
Building and maintaining relationships, belonging and shared connection.
Ako
Learning and teaching as a reciprocal relationship: knowledge can move in both directions.
Kaitiakitanga
Guardianship and responsibility toward the natural world and resources.
Whakapapa
Genealogy and the layered connections between people, ancestors, place and the natural world.
Tikanga
Values, practices and appropriate ways of doing things in context; tikanga can differ between iwi and places.
USEFUL TE REO MĀORI
Listen first. Speak with care.
Macrons matter: a line above a vowel marks a longer sound and can change meaning. Pronunciation and vocabulary can also vary by rohe (region), so local speakers and mana whenua remain the best guides.
Pronunciation support
This device does not provide a te reo Māori voice. Use the phonetic guide and verified learning-source links; Sorena will add recordings by a fluent speaker before public launch.
Kia ora
Hello, thank you, or an acknowledgement
Say it approximately: kee-ah aw-rahTēnā koe
A formal greeting to one person
Say it approximately: teh-naa kwehTēnā kōrua
A greeting to two people
Say it approximately: teh-naa kaw-roo-ahTēnā koutou
A greeting to three or more people
Say it approximately: teh-naa koh-tohNau mai, haere mai
Welcome; come in
Say it approximately: noe my, high-reh myWhānau
Family and wider family connections
Say it approximately: faa-nohManaakitanga
Care, hospitality and respect for others
Say it approximately: mah-nah-ah-kee-tah-ngahWhanaungatanga
Relationships, kinship and a sense of connection
Say it approximately: fah-noh-ngah-tah-ngahAko
To learn and to teach; a reciprocal learning relationship
Say it approximately: ah-kawPātai
A question or enquiry
Say it approximately: paa-tieMahi
Work, activity or task
Say it approximately: mah-heeKa kite anō
See you again
Say it approximately: kah kee-teh ah-nawARRIVING AS A STUDENT
Five respectful habits.
- Learn and use names correctly.Ask how a person or place name is pronounced, then make the effort.
- Keep macrons.Write Māori words and place names accurately wherever your system allows.
- Follow local guidance.At a pōwhiri, marae visit or campus event, listen to the hosts and do not assume every place follows identical practice.
- Do not turn culture into costume.Learn the context before reproducing designs, stories, haka or taonga.
- Stay open to ako.You are not expected to know everything. Genuine respect includes being willing to learn and correct mistakes.
CONTINUE LEARNING
Go to the people and sources doing the work.
KIA ORA · YOUR STUDY JOURNEY
Prepare for more than a qualification.
Explore the places, people and study providers that may become part of your life in Aotearoa New Zealand.
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