A young Māori mother in New Zealand is learning Punjabi alongside her two-year-old daughter, embracing both sides of her family’s cultural heritage and sharing the journey with thousands of people online.
Krystal, who works in real estate, teaches kapa haka and runs a beauty business, began learning Punjabi and strengthening her own te reo Māori in June.
Her journey began at home when she realised she could not understand conversations between her daughter and her Punjabi-speaking father.
“I took that as a sign — that we are not speaking [Punjabi] enough,” Krystal told The Indian Weekender.
She decided that learning Punjabi herself would help her daughter develop a stronger connection with her father’s culture while also encouraging the language to be spoken more often at home.
Her Instagram videos feature everyday words, numbers, colours and phrases in English, Māori and Punjabi, including greetings such as “Kia ora koutou”, “Sat Sri Akal”, “Kia pēhea koe?” and “Kidaan?”
Her daughter has also started responding in Punjabi, including counting “Ikk, Do, Tin” and identifying colours.
Krystal uses homemade cards, Punjabi alphabet charts and books from India to make learning accessible and engaging.
“Even if I am asking about colours, she is responding so much better,” she said.
For Krystal, the experience has also deepened her understanding of her daughter’s Punjabi heritage.
She recalled finding it difficult to communicate with her partner’s Punjabi-speaking parents when they visited New Zealand, an experience that motivated her to learn rather than rely on others to translate.
“I can do the basics now,” she said, joking that she only struggles when people speak Punjabi too quickly.
Krystal has also drawn connections between Māori and Punjabi culture, particularly their emphasis on community and caring for others.
She recalled her first visit to a gurdwara and seeing the practice of sewa, or selfless service, which she compared with the collective care and community spirit she has experienced on a marae.
Her decision to learn Punjabi has attracted overwhelmingly positive reactions online, although some people have questioned why a Māori woman would learn the language.
Her response is simple: “Why not?”
“My daughter is Punjabi, it is her birthright to know her language,” she said.
Krystal hopes her public language-learning journey will encourage other multicultural families in New Zealand to embrace all parts of their heritage.
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