As a reo Māori teacher of many years, Kelly hopes that Aotearoa moves towards bilingualism, where Māori sits next to English as partners.
"I see us moving in that direction, where Māori is no longer a minoritised language in this country. Where everything is in English and Maori," he says.
Towards this journey of bilingualism, Kelly says an important obstacle to overcome is providing people with confidence in using te reo Māori.
"There are different reasons for people not feeling so confident but I think the main thing is to give people the tools with the language and permission in some way. Encouraging them, inciting them to want to learn the language."
Additionally, Kelly points out that teaching or learning te reo Māori is an investment and requires patience.
"You've planted this seed, you've helped nurtured it, you've watered it and then kind of given them the goods to carry on. It's a long-term investment. So just like a plant, you don't go back tomorrow and hope that there's an apple. It's the same for learning te reo, it's a long-term journey. There's a lot of commitment required."
The most rewarding thing for Kelly has been bumping into students years later, who have learned from many sources on their reo journey and have progressed since then because of their commitment.
"You've seen they've stuck with it. They've committed to the kaupapa, committed to learning the te reo Māori," says Kelly.
Kelly hopes that the upcoming M9 event helps stoke the fire of commitment to te reo Māori, leaving audiences, teachers and kaikōrero inspired.
"I hope that people are motivated, invigorated and excited to go out and learn te reo Maori if they haven't started or if they've kind of fallen off the wagon. I hope that it excites the teachers and speakers to continue teaching, to know what they're doing matters and it's making a difference in our language growing and thriving in Aotearoa. It's a time where we can come together, Māori and non-Māori, and celebrate where we've come from, where we are today and where we're looking to be in the future."
Nine powerful voices, nine unique perspectives
Hēmi Kelly is speaking at the series' second edition, on September 9, Whiua ki te ao! - Cast the Māori language to the world! Produced by music artist and reo advocate Ria Hall through Janda Productions, the event coincides with the build-up to Te Wiki o te reo Māori (Māori Language Week).
"Te reo Māori is the lifeblood of this whenua and it thrives in so many incredible contexts," says Hall.
"It was of the utmost importance to me that this instalment of M9 showcases voices that represent the full spectrum of lived te reo Māori experiences, from those who are beginning their journey to those born into the language. There is something here to entice and inspire everyone, from all walks of life."
Hosted by broadcaster and reo expert Stacey Morrison (Te Arawa, Ngāi Tahu), the event line-up also includes reality TV stars and funeral directors Francis and Kaiora Tipene (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri), journalist and trailblazing news anchor Oriini Kaipara (Ngāti Awa, Ngāi Tūhoe), songwriter, kapa haka exponent and self-confessed "artivist" Rob Ruha (Ngāti Porou, Te Whānau-a-Apanui), and award-winning journalist and artist Moana Maniapoto (Te Arawa, Ngāti Tūwharetoa).
Tickets for M9 are available now – visit Ticketmaster for more details.
