Te reo Māori, embedded where it counts.
From a single content check to a full language partnership, we work with New Zealand organisations that are serious about using the Māori language well.
TRUSTED BY
We’ve worked with organisations across health, telecommunications, education, tourism, and the public sector — in communications, learning and development, and language strategy.
Tourism Industry Aotearoa
2degrees
Nelson Regional Development Agency
Watercare Services
Middlemore Hospital
NZ Society of Anaesthetists
Awhi Group
Ako Mātātupu Teach First NZ
THE GAP WE CLOSE
Most organisations want to get te reo Māori right. Very few have the internal expertise to do it consistently.
Good intentions are common. The capability to support them with accuracy, cultural integrity, and consistency across every team and channel is far less so. This is not a criticism. It is the reality for most organisations, and the gap we are here to close.
THE SITUATION
Te reo Māori is appearing across comms, but nobody owns it.
Different teams using different words. Pronunciations varying. A growing sense that action is needed, but no clear place to begin.
THE RISK
Getting it wrong in public carries real reputational consequences.
For organisations with high public visibility, or Māori stakeholders, incorrect or inconsistent use of te reo Māori is not a small oversight.
THE ASPIRATION
Your people want to participate. They just don’t know where to start.
In our experience, most staff are not resistant, just hesitant. They need structure, a clear starting point, and practical tools.
WHAT’S NEEDED
A specialist partner who understands your context, not a generic L&D provider.
Language capability that lasts requires cultural expertise, practical delivery, and support that continues beyond a one-off course.
WHO WE WORK WITH
Built for those inside organisations who carry the language responsibility.
We work directly with the individuals and teams who are expected to get te reo Māori right, often without formal support or internal expertise to draw on.
HR and People leads
Building cultural capability into onboarding, team development, and organisational values, and needing practical tools that get used.
Assistants and coordinators
Managing communications, events, and correspondence where te reo Māori is increasingly expected.
Comms and marketing teams
Producing public-facing content that includes Māori and needing confidence that every word is accurate, consistent, and brand-appropriate.
Te Tiriti leads and advisors
Driving language commitments across the organisation and needing a specialist partner who understands the dimensions of that work.
Leaders and spokespeople
Speaking at AGMs, public events, and media appearances where te reo Māori use is visible, and where getting it wrong is not an option.
CEOs and board members
Setting the tone for how the organisation engages with te reo Māori, and ensuring that tone is credible and authentic.
THE PATHWAY
A pathway, not just a product.
Most organisations don’t need everything at once. They need the right starting point and a clear sense of where the work leads. This is the journey most of our clients move through, at a pace that works.
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Foundations for Teams gives your people a consistent, practical baseline; from confident pronunciation and workplace language to professional introductions. Delivered live online across eight weeks, in cohorts of 10 to 50+ participants.
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Foundations for Teams (From $4,500 + GST)
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A Content Review of your existing public content identifies what’s working, what needs attention, and where the gaps are. Often the most useful starting point for comms and marketing teams.
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Content Review (From $450 + GST)
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A Māori Brand Language Guide or Staff Onboarding Language Kit gives your organisation the internal tools to use te reo Māori consistently, without relying on one person or answering the same questions indefinitely.
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Māori Brand Language Guide (From $10,000 + GST)
Staff Onboarding Language Kit (From $2,500 + GST)
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For organisations that want continuous support throughout the year, our Annual Language Partner Retainer replaces project-by-project work with a single, trusted relationship.
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Annual Language Partner Retainer (From $9,600/yr + GST)
Not sure where your organisation sits on this journey? A 30-minute discovery call is enough to work that out together.
WHY MANAWA MĀORI
Specialist expertise. Personal delivery.
There are generalist providers who include te reo Māori as one module among many. We are not that. We lead with connection, design for real application, and measure success by whether language actually sticks.
01
Full suite, one specialist
A complete suite of organisational services, from team learning and translation to brand language and ongoing advisory, delivered by one specialist team.
02
Connection before content
We don’t start with language. We start with people. Every engagement builds psychological safety first, so learners feel empowered to try, not afraid to get it wrong.
03
Learner-first design
Real learners, not ideal ones, shaped how we work at Manawa Māori. Everything we create is built for digestibility first, so it lands across your whole team regardless of starting points.
IN THEIR WORDS
Words from professionals who have learned with us. These reflections come from across our learning pathways and speak to the confidence and ease that follows when the support is right.
Ready to start the conversation?
Most organisational engagements begin with a 30-minute discovery call. We’ll ask about your team, your context, and what good looks like for your organisation, then recommend an honest starting point together.