Ropata Haddon found a new sense of purpose and reason to continue learning te reo Māori when he became a father.

“Becoming a new father has given me the push to continue on my journey, so that I can pass our reo and tikanga to the next generation,” he says.

Ropata began his reo journey with He Pī Ka Rere in 2023 and is now studying Te Aupikitanga ki te Reo Kairangi at the Taranaki campus of Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

With a newborn pēpi and a partner who also studied at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Ropata sees this as the perfect time to embed te reo Māori into their daily lives and work towards the goal of te reo Māori as the main language in their home.

“I hope for my whole family to one day speak te reo Māori as naturally as we speak English. Starting now while pēpi is young and learning will help my partner and myself on our journeys,” he says.

This commitment has already helped him with a significant milestone. Earlier this year, Ropata stood at Te Matatini ki te Kāhui Maunga 2025 with Ngā Waihotanga, a kapa from Taranaki ki te Tonga. Representing his iwi of Ngāti Ruanui and Ngāruahine under their maunga was a proud moment in his journey.

“To stand at Te Matatini was a huge deal for me but to stand for my family and to represent our style and passion for kapa haka, was a privilege.”

Ropata is grateful for his kaiako and the support from kaimahi at the campus, all of whom have helped him along the way.

“Thanks to my amazing kaiako, Reihana Rimene, and other kaimahi at Ngāmotu, I’ve been able to reach my current level of fluency. They’ve provided a safe space, which has been a factor in my motivation to carry on,” he says.

He’s come to realise that making mistakes is part of the process of learning.

”We all go through times of doubt and uncertainty, especially when learning something new, or in this case, going deeper into the understanding of something you are in the midst of learning. I still get nervous, but now I can push through, because I know that I have people supporting me all the way.”

Ropata knows he’s not alone in this journey and encourages others to find encouragement in his story to carry on, and to know that it is only the beginning.

Find out more about our reo Māori (language) programmes.