Te reo Maori (the Maori language) continues to be learned by Maori and Pakeha from Aotearoa New Zealand. The concept of language anxiety has been the topic of study by numerous authors due to its ability to interfere with second language production from cognition to output. For a group of Pakeha (New Zealand European) learners of te reo Maori, language anxiety appears to be tied to the impact of colonisation on Maori and the colonial history of Aotearoa. This study included 13 Pakeha participants, seven who identified as female and the remaining six who identified as male. The results of this study were divided into three major themes: fear of making linguistic errors in the presence of others, being Pakeha in Maori language dominant classrooms, and coping with language anxiety. Within this study, issues associated with learning an indigenous language as members of the colonial settler group contribute to language anxiety.