Broadcaster Mike McRoberts Reclaims Ancestral Language Journey

Award-winning broadcaster Mike McRoberts has shared his personal journey to reclaim his ancestral language in his newly released book, Speaking My Language: Te Kōrero i Tōku Reo. The book chronicles his commitment to full immersion in Te Reo Māori during 2023, a significant step towards reconnecting with his cultural roots.

For many years, McRoberts struggled with feelings of whakamā, or shame, stemming from his inability to speak Te Reo. He expressed a profound sense of emptiness, describing it as a disconnect from his Māori identity. His whakapapa, or genealogy, traces back to Ngāti Kahungunu o te Wairoa and the Pūtahi marae near Frasertown. During an interview with Māpuna host Julian Wilcox, McRoberts reflected on family trips to Wairoa during Christmas, which provided him with glimpses of his heritage.

“If it hadn’t been for those trips, I could have gone through my whole childhood and adolescence in Ōtautahi/Christchurch without ever having heard a word of Māori spoken,” he said. His father was among several Māori who relocated to Christchurch for trades training, eventually settling down to raise a family. McRoberts reminisced about how his relatives appeared different after returning from Wairoa, sharing a cheeky observation: “You go to Wairoa, who the hell irons their jeans?”

Despite a fulfilling upbringing within the Māori community in Christchurch, McRoberts felt a lingering sense of loss during his visits to Wairoa. He acknowledged the missed opportunities for participating in kapa haka or learning Te Reo Māori. “If the opportunity had been there for me, I know I would have done it,” he stated. “It’s hard not to carry that bitterness forever… at some point you’ve just got to say ‘ok well it wasn’t there’, get off your ass and do something now and that’s what I did a few years ago.”

Reflecting on his journey, McRoberts emphasized the importance of recognizing progress in the revitalization of Te Reo. He noted that while it is easy to feel disheartened by the slow pace, acknowledging the advancements made is essential. “Having come to my language so late in life… I kind of understand where a lot of our population is coming from,” he explained. The anxiety surrounding language learning is a common experience for many, particularly for non-Māori citizens in New Zealand. Yet, he emphasized that the journey into learning Te Reo is always accompanied by aroha, or love.

McRoberts began taking language classes at Whakaata Māori several years ago, finding empowerment in the classroom structure. However, he did not continue after the course ended. “I could have gone on… but I didn’t. I say in the book it’s still something that, it actually tears me up a bit that I wasted seven years. I wasted seven years of my life not being on that journey.”

In 2023, McRoberts made the decision to return to Te Reo by enrolling in a full immersion course at Te Wānanga Takiura. Despite continuing his role as a newsreader at 6pm, he reduced his hours to accommodate his studies. Reflecting on that year, he admitted there were times he considered taking a break from his news duties. “In the end, it wasn’t a hard decision… I had to do it.”

Learning a language is challenging, and for Māori learning Te Reo as a second language, the difficulty can be heightened. McRoberts discussed the internal struggles he faced, questioning his abilities and identity. “Why is it so hard? Why am I so useless? And if I am useless what does that mean about my identity? You go through massive anxiety,” he confessed. “This is going to sound arrogant but I was used to winning. Everything I’d done in life, I’d been really successful at… well, Dancing With the Stars was ok. Then all of a sudden I was at the bottom of my class and hanging on. Rūmaki reo literally means ‘to drown’ and I was drowning alright.”

While McRoberts has gained confidence in whaikōrero, or speeches, at pōwhiri or mihi whakatau, he recognizes that conversational fluency in Te Reo takes time and patience. “It’s ok because I’m in no rush; I know I’m going to be learning this for the rest of my life,” he concluded. This journey not only reflects McRoberts’ personal growth but also highlights the broader narrative of language revitalization and cultural reconnection in New Zealand.