It was important to Chantel and Sean Koller that people felt encouraged to speak te reo Māori without the fear of making mistakes.
It’s exactly why the husband and wife, who moved from South Africa in 2018, chose to share their oath of allegiance to New Zealand in te reo Māori.
“We believe te reo Māori is a treasure that should be celebrated,” they said.
The couple were part of a group of 17 people who were welcomed by Hauraki District Council at its citizenship ceremony on November 27, and left the gathering as official Kiwis.
The Kollers told The Profile they felt nervous about saying their oath in te reo Māori because they wanted to do it justice, but it also added to the significance of the moment. After the ceremony, Chantel said it felt absolutely amazing and she couldn’t have been more proud of her and Sean.
Their motivation to give the oath of allegiance in te reo Māori came from their deep respect for the culture of Aotearoa, they said.
The Koller’s, who said they had been growing their kete (basket) of knowledge, said to deliver the oath in te reo Māori felt like the “natural and the right choice”.
“It was our way of embracing all of Aotearoa and honouring the unique heritage that makes this country so special.”
Te reo Māori was something not only Chantel and Sean embraced, but also their two children, four-year-old Luke and two-year-old Dylan.
“We’ve been incorporating te reo Māori into our daily lives, and some words have become a natural part of how we speak.
“It’s something we use at home with our tamariki and in our daily lives, so it felt familiar even as we prepared for the ceremony,” she said, and added that they did put in some extra effort to ensure they got the pronunciation right and remembered the words.
They said their Afrikaans background helped with rolling the r’s and understanding similar vowel sounds.
“A memorable moment was when our son kept saying ‘puku’ to our family back in South Africa – we had to explain it to them. It was even more special when his cousin started using ‘puku’ too after we returned from our holiday,” they said.
But learning the language wasn’t a journey they travelled alone.
“We have had some amazing people helping and supporting us in our te reo journey.”.
One milestone for the Kollers was being able to now hold Kiwi passports, they said, especially because it meant they would have the same passport as their kids.
“We’re excited to continue our journey as Kiwis, exploring this beautiful country and all it has to offer while creating even more memories as a family.”
At the end of the citizenship ceremony, each new citizen was given a tree to take home. The Koller’s received a kowhai tree and five finger plant, which they planned to put in larger pots to allow them to grow bigger, they said.
“We’re excited to watch them grow and know that they’ll be a lasting reminder of this special milestone in our lives.”
