Get in here! This Kupu is for you!

When the Crown first met with Māori, we were seen as collaborative partners — two peoples, side by side, navigating how to live together in this land. That vision of partnership has not always been honoured, but it remains a guiding light.

Today, Aotearoa New Zealand recognises three official languages: Te Reo Māori, English, and New Zealand Sign Language. Each carries its own mana, its own stories, and its own way of seeing the world.

On this page, I want to share with you some of the kupu (words) I use throughout Tomato Love.

They are not just translations — they are seeds of meaning, holding whakapapa, connection, and life. My hope is that you feel invited into the richness of Te Reo, and that this page becomes a doorway: a place where learning is joyful, inclusive, and grounded in aroha.

And if you’d like to go deeper — or hear how these kupu sound when spoken — you’ll find gentle links through to the Maori Dictionary.

“If you’re new to these kupu (words), don’t worry — each one is like a seed, explained here with aroha so we can grow together.”