When Keim膩rire Tibble-Brown (Ng膩ti Ranginui, Ng膩ti P奴kenga ki Manaia, Ng膩ti T奴wharetoa, Ng膩ti Porou) completed her undergraduate degree in Public and M膩ori Health, she felt there was still something missing. She was looking for a deeper connection to te reo M膩ori and her whakapapa.
Originally from Tauranga, Keim膩rire returned in 2024 to study at the 糖心Vlog鈥檚 Tauranga campus, enrolling in the one-year Diploma in Te Tohu Paetahi. The decision was driven by her desire to learn te reo M膩ori in the place she calls home, surrounded by her wh膩nau, hap奴 and iwi.
Keim膩rire Tibble-Brown
鈥淚 really wanted to prioritise learning te reo M膩ori and doing that in a place I descend from felt right,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t was a way of not only revitalising the language taken from my t墨puna here in Tauranga but also ensuring its continuity for future generations.鈥�
Delivered five days a week from 9am to 3pm, Te Tohu Paetahi offered a completely different learning experience to the tertiary environments she鈥檇 been in before.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 your typical academic course,鈥� Keim膩rire says. 鈥淥ur kaiako created an environment where we learnt through storytelling, laughter, having fun and getting out into the taiao. We were together every day, which created strong support systems and a deep sense of wh膩nau.鈥�
One of the highlights of the year was participating in reo M膩ori debates. It was a daunting but empowering experience that pushed students to think and speak spontaneously in te reo.
鈥淚t was scary, but also one of the most rewarding parts of the course. It built our confidence and encouraged us to delve into w膩nanga on topics like tikanga M膩ori and politics.鈥�
The course offered more than language skills. It was also a space for self-reflection and healing.
鈥淔or many of us, this was about reclaiming a language that had been lost through generations. There was a lot of emotional work involved. It wasn鈥檛 just about learning a language, it was about learning who we are.鈥�
Now working as an advisor at the Ministry of Health, Keim膩rire says her reo journey is inseparable from her commitment to health equity for M膩ori.
鈥淐olonisation, including the systemic erasure of te reo M膩ori, has contributed to the health inequities we see today. Reconnecting with our language is part of reclaiming rangatiratanga and building healthy futures for our people.鈥�
Keim膩rire wasn鈥檛 alone on her journey. Her partner also took a year off from medical school to complete the course.
鈥淒oing it together was really special. We could speak te reo at home and hold each other accountable.鈥� Keim膩rire and her partner continue to learn te reo M膩ori with Te W膩nanga o Aotearoa.
Reflecting on the past year, she describes it as both challenging and transformative.
鈥淚 feel incredibly privileged to have been able to take a year out of my life to focus on learning te reo M膩ori. I know that鈥檚 not something everyone can do.鈥�
