Hīkina te mānuka – Rangatahi Māori shaping the future
At Tonkin + Taylor, we’re proud to stand alongside rangatahi (young leaders) who are not only excelling in their day-to-day engineering and technical roles but also leading the way in revitalising Te Reo Māori, tikanga Māori, and ahurea Māori across Aotearoa. (Language, traditional practices, and culture). These young practitioners are weaving cultural identity into the fabric of their work, creating spaces where language and heritage thrive. Their influence is felt across our projects, our organisation, and our communities.
Tonkin + Taylor, Geotechnics, and these rangatahi express our deepest respect for Kaitiaki who guide the union of traditional and international engineering, culminating in where we find ourselves and the industry today.
Across Aotearoa, we’re seeing more and more examples of rangatahi stepping into leadership roles. The recent ascension of the young Māori Queen, Te Arikinui Kuini Nga Wai Hono i te Po, is a powerful reminder that leadership is not defined by age – it is defined by vision, values, and the courage to serve. The next generation aren’t confined to being our pipeline of leaders – they’re already here, and they’re already leading.
For many of our Māori practitioners, the journey with Te Reo Māori has been one of reclamation and reconnection. While historical barriers to education and cultural expression meant that some whānau were distanced from their Reo and tikanga, today’s generation is reshaping that story. Whether raised in Te Ao Māori (The Māori Worldview) or embracing it later in life, our people share a commitment to learning, practising, and weaving language and culture into the way we think, work, and connect every day.
In this first installment, we hear from Chloe Hireme, Office Administrator/Kaupapa Maori Coordinator, Zharnei Adams, People + Capability Coordinator, and Te Miringa Panapa, Water Resources Engineer – three wāhine toa whose journeys with Te Reo Māori reflect courage, connection, and commitment. Their stories highlight how language reclamation is transforming workplaces, communities, and the engineering industry itself.
We asked our rangatahi and advocates of Te Ao Māori to share their journeys with Te Reo Māori, how they continue to grow, and the ways it shapes their work and sense of identity.
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I pēhea tō tīmatanga o tō haerenga i Te Reo Māori? How did you begin your journey with the Māori language?
Te Miringa
Ko Te Reo Māori te take i tū ai au. Nā Te Reo Māori au i ū ki taku tuakiri, nā reira hoki au i hono ki te tangata me te whenua. Nā te ako i Te Reo Māori kua kitea e au he whanaungatanga, he hapori, me te mōhio hōhonu ake ki au anō. Ko tēnei aronga ka rere tonu ki taku mahi kia kawea mai ai te mana, te hononga me te ngākau ki ngā mea katoa ka mahia e au.
Te Reo Māori is the reason I stand strong. Through the language I have become grounded in my identity, and I have been able to connect deeply with people and with the land. Learning Te Reo Māori has brought me kinship, community, and a deeper understanding of myself. That perspective flows into my work, where I strive to carry mana (spiritual power), connection and heart into everything I do.
Zharnei
My haerenga reo (laguage journey) began with my māmā, who went on her own path of Reo reclamation through Te Wānanga. As a tamaiti, I’d tag along to her wānanga, listening in the background. Reo quickly became part of our whare, especially when my growlings started coming in Te Reo Māori! It was a beautiful learning that language reclamation is a haerenga for the whole whānau, not just the individual.
Chloe
As a tamaiti, we spoke little Reo around the house, we didn’t grow up surrounded by the culture, even though both my parents were part Māori, it was something that had been taken away from their generation and proceeded into mine. When my nephew was born almost 12 years ago, it was important that he knew his whakapapa (genealogy), this created the pathway for my own haerenga and wanting to learn about my whakapapa and be able to kōrero with my nephew and now nieces.
He aha ngā painga o Te Reo Māori ki ō mahi? How has your journey with Te Reo Māori shaped the way you approach your work?
Zharnei
For me, Te Reo Māori has been a gateway into Te Ao Māori, grounding me in my whakapapa (genealogy). As a mokopuna of both partners of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, navigating identity has been interesting. Reo has helped me reconnect with who I am, restore balance to my mauri (life force) and strengthen my mana (spiritual power). It’s also fuelled my advocacy for revitalising Te Reo and normalising tikanga Māori in the workplace – so that the next generation can stand even taller.
Chloe
When I started in Ōtautahi after living in Ngāmotu, Reo wasn’t particularly prominent, and as I was on my own haerenga, I wanted to incorporate it into our working environment. I believe Te Ao Māori plays an important role here and encouraging our people to not only be comfortable using Te Reo Māori but understand that the ‘why’ is another skill they can add to their kete. Taking on the role earlier this year as the Kaupapa Māori Coordinator has enabled me to develop my relationship with others around the motu and lead those who are on their own haerenga by creating a safe and encouraging environment.
He aha ngā akoranga nui? What has been your biggest learning so far?
Te Miringa
Ko te taupā he mea e ārai ana i a koe ki te kōrero i Te Reo Māori. Ko tētahi taupā nui ki ahau ko te mataku: kei hē taku kōrero, kei whakamā au, kei whakaparahako mai tētahi. Nā taua mataku i noho wahangū au, i hoki ki te reo Pākehā. Engari kua mārama au, mā te noho puku kāore au e tipu. Kua mōhio au ināianei kia kuhu mai ai Te Reo. Ko taku moemoea kia rere Te Reo i aku ngutu ahakoa ngā hapa. Mā te kōrero tonu, mā te noho ki Te Ao Māori, ka ora taku reo, ka ora hoki au.
A taupā is something that stops you from speaking Te Reo Māori. One of the biggest taupā for me has been fear: fear of making mistakes, fear of being embarrassed, fear of being judged. That fear kept me quiet, or I reverted back to English. I have come to understand that if I stay quiet, I will never grow. I know now that I must let the Reo flow in. My dream is for Te Reo to flow from my lips, mistakes and all. By continuing to speak and by living within Te Ao Māori, my Reo will thrive and so will I.
Zharnei
One of the most powerful lessons for me is that kupu go far beyond text or words. Each kupu carries depth and meaning that Reo Pākehā can’t fully capture. A beautiful example is “ko wai ahau.” In Reo Pākehā, we might translate this simply as “who am I?” But in Reo Māori, it’s “what waters do you come from?” – a reminder that in Te Ao Māori identity is not just individual, but a connection to whenua (land) and whakapapa (genealogy). This depth carries the history of Te Reo Māori as a spoken language of Aotearoa, not just as a tool for communication, but a worldview – one that binds us to our tupuna (ancestors) and whenua.
Chloe
My biggest learning so far has been understanding that learning Te Reo Māori is a haerenga, not something that happens overnight. It requires commitment, patience, and being immersed in environments where the language is spoken. I’ve learned to be humble, to listen carefully, and to accept mistakes as part of the process. Te Reo Māori is a treasured language, and through learning it, I’ve been able to reconnect with my identity and Te Ao Māori.
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Read more here:
- Waitangi Day: A Time for Reflection and Connection
- Transport, Sustainability, and Kaupapa Māori Leadership, with Dilys Fong
- Embracing Te Reo Māori – Reflecting on Our Language Journeys
