"Mihi" means to acknowledge. To say who you are and where you come from is part of acknowledging others and putting them at ease. Everything in your environment can be acknowledged including Atua, Buildings, People - we are going to start with a simple mihi but as you grow in your reo and understanding you can include other aspects of the environment to acknowledge.
"Pepeha" are statements which locate and describe the geographical features of iwi regions. "Pepeha" can also be sayings or mottos that are said about particular characteristics of iwi. An example is "he piko he taniwhā, he piko he taniwhā" - when people say this we know they are talking about Waikato iwi - on every bend of the Waikato river there is a rangatira (chief).
One way to understand "pepeha" is to think about the British heraldic system or "coats of arms" that symbolise the characteristics of certain families. You would not borrow or wear a family's coat of arms unless you had permission or unless you belonged to that family. When people say "Ko Waikato tōku awa" they often mean that they "belong to" or descend from the Waikato river and therefore the iwi there. It is kind of like a test - do you know which iwi or hapū belongs to which mountain? If you do, when the mountain is mentioned you immediately know the iwi/hapū.
Different iwi/hapū/whānau will have different orders for how they acknowledge others and the order of what they talk about in their pepeha. Some people like to start with their waka, others might start with a whakataukī, others might start with their mountain. Some iwi do not have waka traditions so do not mention a waka. Find out how your whānau order their mihi and pepeha.
Tēnā koutou katoa (greetings/acknowledgements to you all) = MIHI
Ki a Ranginui e tū iho nei, tēnā koe (acknowledging Atua) = MIHI
Ki a Papatūānuku e tākoto nei, tēnā koe (acknowledging Atua) = MIHI
[Visitors can then acknowledge the iwi/hapū they are visiting, the building they are in, the rangatira (important people) there, etc.] = MIHI
[Hosts will extend a welcome to the people visiting, and the local iwi if they are not from that iwi - they usually will not acknowledge their own marae, or mountain, but if they are not from the iwi of th region or marae or building they might.]
Pepeha - nō hea ahau?
Who I am, where I am from using geographical iwi references
Ko ______________________ te waka (not all iwi have waka)
Ko ______________________ te maunga
Ko ______________________ te awa (or moana or roto)
Ko _______________________ te tipuna (important ancestor) (Some people will put this first)
Ko ________________________ te iwi (tribe name)
Ko ________________________ te hapū (sub-tribe name/s)
Ko __________________________ te marae
who I am where I am from using the countries of origin of my ancestors
Ko ____________________________ te/ngā whenua o ōku tūpuna OR Nō _________________ ahau
Kei ___________________(name of town/place) tōku kāinga ināianei - I now live at ____________.
Acknowledging the iwi of where you live or were born (if you are from the iwi of the region you do not do this)
Ko tēnei te mihi atu ki a Ngāi Tahu ngā mana whenua (I greet and acknowledge Ngāi Tahu the iwi of here)
Ko tēnei te mihi atu ki a Kopuwai (I greet Kopuwai)
Ko tēnei te mihi atu ki a Mata-au (I greet Mata-au)
Adding biographical detail
I whānau mai ahau ki ____________ (I was born in __________)
Ko _________________________ te ingoa whānau
Ko _____________ rāua ko _________ ōku mātua (my parents are....)
Ko _____________ tōku whaea/Māmā/Kōkā (my mother is .....)
Ko ____________ tōku matua/Pāpā (my father is .........)
Ko ______________ tōku tuakana (older sibling same gender as you)
Ko ______________ tōku teina (younger sibling same gender as you)
Ko _____________ tōku tuahine (sister if you are male)
Ko ______________ tōku tungāne (brother if you are female)
Ko ______________ tāku tamaiti (my child is ______)
Ko ___________ rāua ko __________ āku tamariki (my children are _____ and _____)
Ko _________ rātou ko ___________ ko ______________ āku tamariki (my children x 3)
Ko ________________________ tōku ingoa
Nō reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa
Ko wai koe? Who are you?
Ko Jamie ahau. I'm Jamie.
Ko Jamie tōku ingoa. My name is Jamie.
Ko wai tō ingoa? What's your name?
Ko Samara tōku ingoa. My name is Samara.
Ko wai ia? Who is he/she?
Ko Caleb ia. He/She is Caleb.
Ko wai tō Māmā? Who is your Mum?
Ko Moana tōku Māmā. My Mum is Moana.
Ko Zinny te ingoa o tāku ngeru. Zinny is the name of my cat.
Ko wai tēnei? Who is this by me?
Ko Quin tēnei. This (by me) is Quin
Ko wai tēnā? Who is that by you?
Ko Sam tēnei. This (by me) is Sam.
Ko wai tērā? Who is that over there?
Ko Harry tērā. That is Harry over there.
Nō hea koe? Where are you from / Who do you descend from?
Nō hea kōrua? Where are you two from?
Nō hea koutou? Where are you (3+) from?
Nō hea ahau? Where am I from?
Nō hea ia? Where is he/she from?
Nō Ngā Puhi ahau. I descend from (or belong to) Ngā Puhi
Nō Ngāti Kahungunu ahau. I descend from Ngāti Kahungunu
Nō Ngāi Tahu ia. He/she is from Ngāi Tahu
Nō Ngāi Tūhoe koe? Are you from Ngāi Tūhoe?
Nō Ōtautahi ahau. I am from Christchurch.
He whakamārama, he tauira anō - Explanations & Examples
A & O categories are very important to understanding te reo Māori. Check this site for information. Why do we say "tōku ingoa" but "tāku ngeru"?
Ko tēnei te pōtae o Tyson - this is Tyson's hat
Ko tērā te kurī a Jacob - that is Jacob's dog
Ko tēnei te pukapuka a Luka? - This is Luka's book?
Ko Hēmi te pāpā o Hariata - Hēmi is Hariata's father
Ko Jessie te hoa o Gemma - Jessie is Gemma's friend
tōku ingoa - my name
tāku ngeru - my cat
tōku whaea - my mother/aunt/female teacher
tāku pene rākau - my pencil
Drop the "t" to make plurals - ōku kaiako - my teachers; āku mōkai - my pets
Ko tāku āporo - my apple
Ko tōku whare - my house
Ko tōna whare - his/her house
Ko tā rāua kai - their (2) food
Ko tō rātou kaiako - their (3+) teacher
Ko tāu peke - your bag
Ko tāna pene rākau - his pencil
There is a neutral informal format for some possessives - for example, taku, tō, tana - mine, yours (x1 you), his/hers. Please learn when to use ā/ō first. To speak about plural things that are owned or you have we drop the "t", for example, tōku motokā = my car; ōku motokā = my cars.
ahau (me,I) - tōku/ōku; tāku/āku; taku/aku = mine
koe (you x1) - tōu/ōu; tāu/āu; tō, ō = yours
kōrua (you x 2) - tō kōrua; tā kōrua = yours (you two's)
koutou (you x 3) - tō koutou; tā koutou = yours (3+ yous)
ia (he/she/her/him - tōna/ōna; tāna/āna, tana, ana = his/hers
rāua (them/they x 2) - tā rāua, tō rāua = theirs (drop the t to make plurals)
rātou (them/they x 3+) - tā rātou; tō rātou - theirs (drop the t to make plurals)
us/we - tā māua; tō māua; tā tāua; tō tāua (ours x 2) (drop the t to make plurals)
tā tātou; tō tātou; tā mātou; tō mātou (ours x 3+) (drop the t to make plurals)
there is a time and a place ...... adjust your mihi & pepeha to the circumstances