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People and relationships, are key to the essence of being Māori. When we stand to introduce ourselves, we recite our pepeha (an introductory ‘speech’) which is based on our whakapapa (our genealogy). This is often recited during a mihimihi and it tells people about where we’ve come from and who we have come from.
In this learning experience we are aiming to support our learners to understand tikanga Māori more deeply, so that they can develop their capabilities to contribute positively as citizens of Aotearoa, New Zealand
The pepeha is a familiar template of phrases that define and describe iwi, hapū and whānau connections for Māori.
It will typically mention whakapapa affiliations through the ancestral mountain, river, waka, iwi, hapū, marae and other kinship ties. But the pepeha is also becoming an essential part of the work life of Pākehā and Tauiwi.
Keri Opai (Tikanga An Introduction to te ao Māori
Activity 1: Waiata Mai
Activity 1: Waiata Mai
Listen
Listen to the 660 Pepeha song and sing along!
https://youtu.be/y_CJFEKNvX8?si=JUW5X_MwLlayQJwy
Practise the pronunciation.
Listen to the explanation of the pronunciation and have a go at saying the kupu (words) yourself.
As you listen to the explanation look at the lyrics below.
Listen to a partner and see how they pronounce the words, and help each other to get the sounds right
Pepeha 660 pronunciation guide.m4aNgā kupu o te waiata | Words in the song
Ngā kupu o te waiata | Words in the song
Activity 2: Language recognition
Activity 2: Language recognition
What do you notice about the words?
Which ones do you know?
Which ones don’t you know?
Let’s look at those lyrics
Why don’t they translate some of the words?
What does the composer mean by - all of that is me?
Can you work out what the last two lines mean?
What do you learn about pepeha from this waiata?
Ko Mana tōku maunga
Ko Aroha te moana
Ko Whānau tōku waka
Ko au e tū atu nei
Mana is my mountain
Aroha is my sea
Whanau is my waka
And all of that is me
Ahakoa pāmamao
Kei kōnei koe
Though you're far away
I hold you near
I’ll keep the home fires burning
So you can see clear
Kia maumahara mai rā
Nō kōnei koe.
Te Reo | Language
Te Reo | Language
Activity 3: The importance of the kupu 'wai'
Activity 3: The importance of the kupu 'wai'
Read the book below
What do these questions mean and how would you answer them?
What do you notice about the word ‘wai’? What does it mean?
Ko wai tō ingoa?
Nō wai koe?
The pepeha is Indigenous code for:
Māori people are part of the natural environment and water cycle.
That is why the term for fresh water is “wai māori”. And that is why the word for “who” in te reo is “wai”. Most people in classes learning te reo are taught the phrase “Ko wai koe?” (Who are you?) or “Ko wai tō ingoa?” (What/who is your name?)
Actually, these phrases are not quite accurate. The old people were more likely to use the question;
“Nā wai koe?” “Who do you belong to?” But, literally, “From whose waters do you descend?”
More about pepeha
More about pepeha
Activity 4: Can non-Māori say pepeha?
Activity 4: Can non-Māori say pepeha?
In this short video from Tupuora, when Anahera asks her Koro if anyone can say a pepeha, he says, that yes, anyone can. However, there is a lot of discourse about this in te Ao Māori, so it is worth doing some more reading about it. Some Māori believe that Pākehā should not use the same format as Māori, others feel that it is ok.
Read the information in the book below, or on the resources page in this website. For more confident readers, read this document.
Try to answer these questions;
According to Keri Opai, what is the purpose of pepeha?
Why doesn't he think that non-Māori should use the traditional form of pepeha?
A pepeha Challenge
A pepeha Challenge
Ko wai koe? Nō hea koe? Koirā te wero - pepeha challenge i Tohekura 2023! #tewhakatōhea
Ko wai koe? Nō hea koe? Koirā te wero - pepeha challenge i Tohekura 2023! #tewhakatōhea
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