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A pepeha is an individual script or testimony that tells the story about your connection; with the lands that surround them, their origins, their relationship with the wider community, the kindred link to their extended family, the strength of their homestead, the ancestral and parental ties and finally, but no less importantly – you – the person who holds the script.
Pepeha: Maunga - The Mountain
The mountain is the highest point in a natural landscape and for the most part, we choose the mountain that formed part of the landscape as we were growing up. Depending on where a person’s tūrangawaewae or heritage resides, this may already be determined regardless of where the person grew up. In summary, the maunga is the largest connection to the region that a person would call their kāinga.
Ko Kahurānaki te maunga – Kahuranaki is my mountain
Pepeha: Nga Wai – The Waters
Its significance when included in the pepeha. Depending on where an individual resides, they may be surrounded by different bodies of wai. Having a source of water to reference is not only important for writing a pepeha, but it’s important
because it’s a source of life. Excluding the moana, these are carriers of freshwater or waimāori.
Ko Ngaruroro te awa – Ngaruroro is the river
When we reference this in our pepeha, we’re acknowledging the fact that the river gives sustenance to the land upon which it travels, and it’s in this section that we start talking about the term kaitiakitanga.
Pepeha: Rerenga Waka - The Voyage
The voyage that the ancestors took when they first migrated to the lands of Aotearoa is a story that speaks of personal origins. For the most part, this section talks about the Great Voyage of waka that travelled from the pacific islands to Aotearoa. However, because we live in an ever-changing world filled with people of different walks of life and ancestry, this section of pepeha is also used to reflect those journeys as well. For Māori, the way in which they express their origins is through the great migration to Aotearoa through the ancestral waka that sailed from Hawaiki, where the ancestors departed to seek a new life for their descendants. It’s through this origin story that we discuss the trials and tribulations associated with the voyage, and the leaders and spiritual guides that helped pave the way for a safe and successful journey to what was new and unfamiliar lands:
Ko Tākitimu te waka – Tākitimu is the canoe
Pepeha: Iwi – The Bones
Conventionally, when we talk about iwi, we’re talking about a large tribe of people connected by a common ancestor. By definition, iwi means ‘bones’ and refers to how the bones connect to the bones of those ancestors who lived on these lands, as well as the bones of the family, and of the family’s family, traced back to the single iwi of a well-known ancestor, or group of ancestors.
Ko Ngāti Kahungunu te iwi – My bones are from Ngāti Kahungunu
Pepeha: Hapū - Kinship
Next on the line of pepeha is a word that is often associated to mean ‘sub-tribe’ or ‘extended family’. In traditional times, hapū was the largest and most important grouping that people used to identify themselves with. The term iwi was introduced during early colonial times to more-widely distinguish Māori so that they were easier to manage. Nevertheless, having a second layer of group identity proved to be beneficial when learning about a person’s identity, which is why both survive side-by-side today. The definition of hapū means ‘conceived in womb’ and when used in a pepeha, refers to the kin who nurture, protect and help develop the baby. In this instance, the baby is the individual reciting the pepeha.
Ko Ngāi Te Aho te Hapū – Ngāi Te Aho are my kin
Pepeha: Marae – The Meeting Place
Pepeha: Marae – The Meeting Place
The best way to describe a modern marae is to think of it like a function centre: It has a main building for visitors to sleep and host their kaupapa, a building for cooking kai, eating & entertaining, ablution blocks, an open outdoor space and of course, an entrance.
Ko Matahiwi te marae – Matahiwi is my meeting place
Ko Matahiwi te marae – Matahiwi is my meeting place
To fulfil the purpose of pepeha, this line above gives enough information to inform the listener where the speaker is from. The following simply go into further detail about the marae:
Pepeha Modular
Pepeha Modular
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