The Dream Team

Tuterangiwhiu Grant-Cairns – Owner/Teacher
Ko Ngā Rākau-Mātahipū-a-Atuamatua te waka.
Ko Ngongotahā te maunga.
Ko Te Rotorua-Nui-a-Kahumatamomoe te moana.
Ko Te Arawa te iwi.
Ko Tuterangiwhiu Grant-Cairns tōku ingoa.
Kia ora! My name is Tuterangiwhiu Grant-Cairns and I am offering a service of learning te reo Māori online for beginners. Whether you are just beginning your journey, or you are looking to expand on what you already know, all are welcome!
I am a husband and father to two beautiful little girls, and I have a passion for te reo Māori and just being Māori. I have walked this journey with my family and now I would love the opportunity to walk alongside you on your own journey.

Carmen Grant-Cairns – Business Administrator
Ko Te Arawa te waka
Ko Matauhipo-o-Rakeipoho, Ko Matawhaura ōku maunga
Ko Taupō-nui-a-Tia, Ko Te Rotoiti-i-kitea-ai-a-Ihenga ōku moana
Ko Waimarino, Ko Ōhautanga-a-Potakatawhiti ōku awa
Ko Ngāti Hinekura, Ko Ngāti Te Takinga ngā hapū
Ko Korohē me Hohowai ngā marae
Ko Ngāti Tūwharetoa me Ngāti Pikiao ōku iwi
Ko Carmen Grant-Cairns tōku ingoa
Kia ora,
I am Tuterangiwhiu's wife and constantly in the background making sure your experience with Tuterangiwhiu is an enjoyable, and safe space to learn te reo Māori.
I love all things Māori, and find this journey highly rewarding, as I watch our students grow and beam with pride whilst learning their language and culture.
If you are considering learning but you are nervous, please reach out to Tuterangiwhiu and I. We will work hard to make sure you are as comfortable as possible.
I hope to see you all in our future lessons :)
Ngā manaakitanga,
Carmen

“Mai i Maketū ki Tongariro” - Our babies

Kia ora e te whānau. Our names are Ivy and Alivya Grant-Cairns.
We are, and continue to be the drive our parents have for this journey in keeping our language alive and sharing te reo Māori.
We enjoy singing the 'AEIOU' song and saying 'HUI E, TĀIKI E!' when we do our karakia.
We hope you join our parents and hand the knowledge you learn to your babies, or to the children in your family too :)

Jasmine Straga - Te Reo Kia Rere Support Manager

Ko Tainui te waka

Ko Maungatautari te maunga

Ko Waimakariri te awa

Ko Ruapeka te Marae

Ko Rangimārie te wharenui

Ko Te Aroha te wharekai

Ko Ngāti Tūkorehe te Hapū

Ko Raukawa ki te Kaokaoroa o Pātetere te iwi

Ko Jasmine Straga tōku ingoa

I’m still early in this journey, but have already found such a wonderful sense of belonging, self and connection to land through my voyage. Learning te reo isn’t just learning a language. It connects you to your ancestors and your culture. Taking this course has not only improved my knowledge of te reo, but has connected me to other students who are on the same journey and have experienced other imperative parts of our culture, and through these connections with the students, all of us have been able to exchange what we have found from kōrero, weaving, and even cultural dances of our people. It’s a very special gift and one for me that came at precisely the right time in my life.

Jevan Jones Loffley -Student support (Trans Tasman) Based in Melbourne.

Ko Te Arawa te waka.

Ko Tamatekapua te tangata.

Ko Ngongotahā te maunga.

Ko Te Rotorua-nui-a-Kahumatamomoe te moana.

Ko Rotorua te kāinga.

Ko Ngāpuna Hurunga o Te Rangi te pā.

Ko Hurunga o Te Rangi te wharenui.

Ko Te Arawa te iwi.

Ko Ngā Tūmatawera rāua ko Ngāti Whakaue ngā hapū.

Ko Ngāti Awa tōku iwi.

Ko Jevan Jones-Loffley tōku ingoa.

Kia ora e te whānau! Although I consider myself extremely lucky having the experience of growing up in Aotearoa, New Zealand, and being in and around our beautiful Māori culture. I took for granted the concept of te reo and how crucial it is to our existence as a people. Living away from Aotearoa for sometime now, I want to champion the resurgence of the language and to ensure the sacrifices our tūpuna (ancestors) made throughout colonisation were not vain. I am proud to be a part of a Māori owned organisation, living and breathing in the heart of Aotearoa. Te Reo Kia Rere has created a supportive learning environment that welcomes people of any race, religion, sexual orientation or creed.

Waihuka Matekuare -Student support (Europe) Based in the United Kingdom

Ko Tūwatawata te maunga.

Ko Waikaremoana te moana.

Ko Whirinaki te awa .

Ko Mātaatua te waka.

Ko Ngāi Tūhoe te iwi.

Ko Ngāti Whare te hapū.

Ko Murumurunga e te marae

Ko Waihuka Matekuare tōku ingoa.

Kia ora,

I’m so pleased to be part of the Te Reo Kia Rere team as a Peer Support. My reo journey has begun later in my life and is still very much in its infancy. But I strongly feel that anytime is a good time to begin, and I have found warmth and support within this community. I currently live in the UK, in a little market town on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales with my two children and have been here for over 15 years. So I couldn’t be farther away from my reo and culture. Finding this course has brought me closer to all those things. I look forward to meeting and speaking with you all in our beautiful language.

Waihuka.

Micki Walker -Te Reo Support Advisor
Ko Maungataniwha te maunga.
Ko Tokerau te moana.
Ko Rangaunu te awa.
Ko Māmaru te waka.
Ko Ngāti Kahu te iwi.
Ko Ōturu te marae.
Ko Micki Hilda Rapua Monowai Walker tōku ingoa.
Kia ora, e te whānau. My name is Micki Hilda Rapua Monowai Walker.
I was born and raised in Sydney Australia, since 1983. I have 5 amazing children, 4 girls and 1 boy, with my partner of 12 years. Growing up, I had no interest in learning te reo Māori, and about the Māori culture. It was not until my eldest child, my daughter Gordon-Ruhia, at 16 yrs of age, had asked me to join her up for kapa haka in 2019. I thought I would join with her so I could be supportive towards her in some way when needed. That is where my own journey with te reo Māori started. Finally it felt like I fit in somewhere. Something was missing in my life and I realized it was who I was born to be, a wahine Māori. To be the kaiako (teacher) for my own children.