Ifan's Visual Goal of Learning Te Reo Maaori
Date Published: 22/08/2025
Author: Maioha Tawa
"Historically and currently, there are many political challenges facing Maaori - not too dissimilar to the Welsh language struggles... if I can accomplish this goal as a matter of respect to living in another country, then that is a goal I feel is achievable."
Background
Ifan Webb is from Cymru (Wales). He has Klinefelter's Syndrome, and for him, this condition means that learning and processing information is challenging. Despite these barriers, Ifan has always been passionate about learning and exploring new things. Having grown up in Wales as a Welsh speaker, he understands the importance of protecting indigenous languages. Now living in Aotearoa, he has a new goal - to learn Te Reo Maaori.
The Visual Goal
When I first discovered Ifan's goal, I was amazed. With all the political controversy and hate around Te Reo Maaori being featured on road signs, at council hui, and in children's books, it was inspiring to read about his journey and to see that people from overseas were interested in learning Te Reo Maaori. He drew a strong parallel between the Welsh and Maaori struggles for language.
His main reasons for wanting to learn Te Reo Maaori were to gain insight, knowledge, companionship, build confidence, be an ally for Maaori, and respect the whenua he is on. He also wants to take this maatauranga and experience back to share with friends and whaanau in Wales.
When creating Ifan's goal, I wanted the drawing to reflect his intentions to learn a new language while also acknowledging his own identity. In the design, I placed the Tino Rangatiratanga Flag and the Flag of Wales together as a way of showing their shared political struggles.
"It would open many doors to understanding the landscape of Aotearoa, wildlife, and the people in a deeper way."
In the drawing, I shared this koorero with three open "doors" which acted as a glimpse into life in Aotearoa. These doors symbolise the opportunities that learning Te Reo Maaori could potentially unlock, not just in terms of the language, but the cultural depth, environmental awareness, and connection to other people through waiata. Through them, I show how pathways can open puuraakau of our whenua and taiao, stories about why our native manu look the way they do, why maunga are situated where they are, and the history embedded in waiata. These narratives carry an importance that only learning and understanding Te Reo Maaori can unlock.
The Finished Product
Once I finished the visual goal, we had an opportunity to get together at my home in Kirikiriroa, and I gave Ifan the original hardcopy of his drawing. The digital version was completed shortly after.