ABOUT US / KO WAI MĀTOU
Our core values / Ō tātou tikanga
At Learn Māori Abroad we are committed to providing authentic, one-of-a-kind Māori cultural experiences and high-quality, engaging classes and workshops for learners living abroad.
Our language and cultural classes are based on the following core values:
WHAKAMANA: To empower Māori language & culture learners who live outside of Aotearoa New Zealand.
- WHANAUNGATANGA: To create community and connectedness among learners abroad.
TOMONGA: To provide access to learning Māori abroad through online classes, in-person workshops, resources and other learning materials.
TAUTOKO: To support you on your Māori language and culture journey.
We invite you to join us for a language class or a haka workshop online or in-person. We look forward to partnering with you on you Māori language and culture journey.
OUR TEAM / TŌ MĀTOU WHĀNAU
"Ehara taku toa e te toa takitahi engari he toa takimano."
My strength is not that of an individual but that of the collective.
AMELIA BUTLER
Owner, Founder & Kaiako / Teacher
Amelia Butler is an indigenous Māori performer, dancer, choreographer and instructor from Aotearoa New Zealand. She has been teaching and performing dance at an international level for over 20 years. Amelia moved to Los Angeles in 2008 to pursue a career in dance and has worked as a professional dancer in the LA entertainment industry. She founded and leads Los Angeles based traditional Māori performance group, Ngā Ānahera Māori, teaches te reo Māori online and teaches haka & poi workshops in the US. Amelia’s tribal affiliations are Ngātiwai, Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Awa. She is proud to share her culture abroad.
FOREST TAANETINORAU-MORTON
Kaiawhina / Teaching Assistant
Forest is of Ngāti Maniapoto descent, as well as Scottish, Irish and English descent. She grew up in Ōtautahi, always hearing the beautiful reo Māori of her koro Uekaha and wider whānau, but didn't start learning te reo Māori until she moved to Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) in 2017. After studying with some amazing kaiako at Te Wānanga o Aotearoa and Te Ataarangi ki Pōneke, she moved to Melbourne in 2019. Looking for a way to keep learning te reo Māori, it was here that she connected with Amelia and Learn Māori Abroad. Forest will shortly be returning to Te Whanganui-a-Tara but is excited to stay part of the Learn Māori Abroad Community.
Her inspiration for her te reo Māori haerenga (journey) is her koro who reclaimed his beautiful reo later in life, her Nanny Lyn and māmā Maurz who are learning alongside her, and her wider whānau who are committed to nurturing our reo through music and kōrero (talk).
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