By Bahadur Hāweatea Brysonon, via Elephant Journal

“When I started learning te reo Māori (the Maori language) I found my way home. The language is a treasure where even one ordinary word can provide immense understanding and wisdom. After all, the extraordinary hides in the ordinary. One word has me re-evaluating who I am.

With just 13 letters in the alphabet (8 consonants and 5 vowels), all words are deeply connected to each other. Vowels are seed sounds, across lands and cultures worldwide.

Makuini Ruth Tai, who teaches on the vibration of te reo Māori explains it as the language of nature, where REO (language) stands for Rich Earth Oratory. Six years ago she opened me up to seeing reo in this way, by explaining the first two words below. The other words are some I’ve sat with, outside in the fresh air, and tried to get to know. I share what they teach me, and it’s in no way conclusive.”