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.

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Our language and cultural classes are based on the following core values:

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• WHAKAMANA: To empower Māori language & culture learners who live outside of New Zealand.

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• WHANAUNGATANGA: To create community and connectedness among learners abroad.

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• TOMONGA: To provide access to learning Māori abroad through online classes, workshops, resources and other learning materials.

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• 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.  We look forward to partnering with you on you Māori language and culture journey.

AMELIA BUTLER

Owner, Founder & Kaiako / Teacher

Ko Huruiki te maunga

Ko Punaruku te awa

Ko Mataatau te waka

Ko te Uri o Hikihiki te hapū

Ko Ngātiwai, Ko Ngāpuhi, Ko Ngāti Awa ngā iwi

Ko Mokau o Whangaruru te marae

Ko Amelia Butler ahau

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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

Kaiāwhina/Teaching Assistant

Ko Owhawhe te maunga 

Ko Rere Waitomo te awa

Ko Tainui te waka 

Ko Ngāti Maniapoto te iwi

Ko Ruapuha Uekaha te hapū

Ko Tokikapu te marae

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Forest Taanetinorau-Morton is of Māori (Ngāti Maniapoto) 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 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, she connected with Amelia and Learn Māori Abroad.  Her inspiration for her te reo Māori haerenga (journey) is her koro who reclaimed te reo later in life, her Nanny Lyn and māmā Maurz who are learning alongside her, and her wider whānau (family) who are committed to nurturing our reo through music and kōrero (talk).

FRANÇOISE AROHA DANOY

Kaiāwhina / Teaching Assistant

Ko Hikurangi te maunga

Ko Waiapu te awa

Ko Ngāti Porou te iwi

Ko Françoise tōku ingoa

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Francoise, aka Frenchie, is a Franco-Māori (Ngāti Porou) Australian American living in San Antonio, Texas. She started her Te Reo Māori language journey mid-late 2019, as part of her journey to connecting back to her cultural heritage, joining Amelia's program early 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her day job is knitwear design: she designs and publishes knitting patterns with an emphasis on documenting this journey.

KIMBERLEY MORIARTY

Kaiāwhina/Teaching Assistant

Ko Rakaumangamanga te maunga

Ko Taumarere te awa

Ko Mātaatua te waka

Ko Patukeha te hapū

Ko Ngāpuhi te iwi

Ko Te Rāwhiti te marae

Ko Kimberley Moriarty ahau

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Kimberley studied te reo Māori throughout high school in New Zealand. This led her to participate in kapahaka (traditional Māori performing arts) at Te Taitokerau Festival in Northland, New Zealand and Ngā Manu Kōrero, a Māori speech competition for secondary school students.  At the age of 25 Kimberley moved to London and became disconnected from the language.  Kimberley’s journey started again when she saw an opportunity to join one of Learn Māori Abroad’s courses for learners living abroad.  It was one of the most empowering decisions she has made as an adult.  Kimberley's iwi (tribe/nation) is Ngāpuhi.

EMMA MORRIS

Social Media Manager

Emma is an active part of the Learn Māori Abroad team.  She provides unique, educational and inspiring content for our Social Media channels.  Emma is from Aotearoa, New Zealand.  She currently lives in Grapevine, Texas.  To view her posts click here & here.